In recognition of Arleigh Burke Class guided-missile destroyer USS Chung-Hoon's namesake, service and achievements, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell issued a proclamation Dec. 10 naming the day "USS Chung-Hoon" day.

The printed and framed proclamation was presented by Caldwell's staff to a surprised crew and their family members at the ship's holiday party. Commander Tom Ogden, commanding officer of Chung-Hoon (DDG 93), accepted the proclamation and noted a deep connection with Hawaii.

"Chung-Hoon was honored to receive this proclamation from Mayor Caldwell. The relationship that Chung-Hoon shares with Hawaii based on our namesake and the personal relationships we have built with the citizens of Hawaii makes this even more special," Ogden noted.

"We look forward to continuing to build this relationship while sharing the spirit of Aloha as we deploy to the Western Pacific Ocean in the near future."

The ship, commissioned in Pearl Harbor Sept. 18, 2004, is named for Rear Adm. Gordon Pai'ea Chung-Hoon, who "as Commanding Officer of the USS Sigsbee in the spring of 1945, assisted in the destruction of 20 enemy planes while screening a carrier strike force off the island of Kyushu, and was awarded the Navy Cross and Silver Star for conspicuous gallantry and extraordinary heroism," as noted in the proclamation

"In the past 11 years the ship and her crew continued the extraordinary service and dedication exemplified by Rear Admiral Chung-Hoon, while also maintaining a level of readiness that is second to none," it reads.

Guest of honor, ship's sponsor Michelle Punana Chung-Hoon, Rear. Adm. Chung-Hoon's niece, was in attendance at the holiday party. She is invited to ship functions and key Navy ceremonies in Pearl Harbor.

The proclamation lists awards the ship achieved in the past 11 years and concludes:

"Whereas, the men and women who serve aboard the USS Chung-Hoon make tremendous sacrifices when deployed at sea by being away from friends and family for extended periods of time, and through its ombudsman, the ship ensures sailors remain connected with loved ones back home; now, therefore, I, Kirk Caldwell, Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu, hereby proclaim December 10, 2015, to be USS Chung-Hoon Day in recognition of the guided-missile destroyer's years of unparalleled service and her crew's dedication to protecting life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for the American people."


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