Navy Names Ship After John Lewis

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. Navy announced Wednesday it is naming its newest vessel after civil rights leader and U.S. Rep. John Lewis.

The USNS John Lewis will serve as a fleet replenishment oiler when it comes into service, according to the Navy. Construction on the vessel should begin in 2018.

The Lewis will be the lead ship of her class, the Navy says, with subsequent ships taking the names of other civil rights icons.

“As the first of its class, the future USNS John Lewis will play a vital role in the mission of our Navy and Marine Corps while also forging a new path in fleet replenishment,” said Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus in a statement.

“Naming this ship after John Lewis is a fitting tribute to a man who has, from his youth, been at the forefront of progressive social and human rights movements in the U.S., directly shaping both the past and future of our nation.”

Lewis organized lunch counter sit-ins, participated as a “Freedom Rider,” marched across the Edmund Pettis Bridge in Selma, and gave a keynote speech at the March on Washington, the same event where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous “I Have A Dream” speech.