“384-Ft. Landing Ship Ready for Launching at Christy Yard Saturday” from the April 16, 1953 Door County Advocate

384-Ft. Landing Ship Ready for Launching at Christy Yard Saturday

MRS. ROBERT F. WOOD

ADMIRAL F. P. OLD

DISTINGUISHED GUESTS at the launching of LST 1167 at the Christy shipyard Saturday afternoon at 3:30 will include those pictured above. Mrs. Wood is the wife of Gen. Robert E. Wood and Admiral Old is commandant of the ninth naval district.

Public Invited To Christening Of Second LST

Ship Will Hit the Water On South Side of Yard, Giving Good View for All

Everyone will have an opportunity to see the big splash Saturday at 3:30 when the LST 1167 slides into the water at the Christy shipyard.

The ship will be launched, on the extreme south side of the yard directly into the bay. The 1166 was launched into a yard slip. Weather permitting — it poured Nov. 22 when the 1166 hit the wat­er—hundreds of people are expect­ed to witness the event. The yard will be open to the public but children under 12 will not [be] permitted without their parents and no cam­eras will be allowed.

LST 1167 will be christened by Mrs. Robert E. Wood of Chicago, wife of Gen. Wood, who is chairman of the board of Sears, Roebuck & Co. The ship is the second of five consecutively numbered LST’s being built at the yard under a 31 million dollar contract negotiated in September of 1951. Second largest ships to be built for the navy in the Midwest since the war, each is 384 ft. long, has a 55-ft. beam and quarters for a complement of 600 officers and men.

Ceremony Tightly Timed

The commandant of ninth naval district, Rear Admiral Francis P. Old, will come from Great Lakes, Ill. to be a guest at the christening. Mrs. Old will accompany him. Another guest will be Mrs. Frederick A. Preston of Lake Forest, Ill.

The program will get under way at 3 p.m. with pictures of the launching party taken on the platform at the ship’s bow. At 3:15 the Brussels band will play and two minutes later, C. R. Christianson, president and general manager at the yard, will give a brief talk.

He in turn will introduce Ad­miral Old, who will also give a few remarks. Next will be a brief talk by Cmdr. Carl O. Riggs Jr., representing the Chief of the Bur­eau of Ships.

Fr. James Pearson of Christ the King Episcopal church win give the invocation at 3:24, and this will be followed by the “Star Spangled Banner.” At 3:28 the band will strike up “Anchors “Aweigh” and at 3:30 Mrs. Wood is scheduled to christen the ship.

Christy launchings generally are kept on schedule so anyone wish­ing to see the event should be sure he is on time.
https://archive.co.door.wi.us:443/jsp/RcWebImageViewer.jsp?doc_id=1e8fc801-90a4-4104-8e86-19a1ea0947dc/wsbd0000/20141103/00000830&pg_seq=1

Courtesy of the Door County Library Newspaper Archive

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