SAILORS' DELIGHT

Chamber rolls out red carpet for crew of USS Little Rock

A four-day visit to the river city by the crew of the pre-commissioned USS Little Rock culminated with a catered barbecue dinner hosted by the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau the night of June 13 at historic Curran Hall. The crew, stationed near Jacksonville, Fla., includes one Arkansan -- Robert Dyer of Mountainburg.

The sailors' trip was centered on Flag Day ceremonies in the ship's namesake city. Led by Cmdr. Todd Peters, the littoral combat ship sailors also participated in various community service projects and toured museums and the state Capitol. They met with Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Mayor Mark Stodola, Rotary Club 99 and officials with the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce.

"It's all about getting information to the community about the ship and introducing the sailors," Peters said at the event at Curran Hall. "We want to make sure we know Little Rock and Little Rock knows us."

Still under construction, the USS Little Rock is a Freedom-class littoral combat ship which will be docked in Mayport, Fla. The ship has the capacity to operate in shallow water as well as the open ocean and was christened in July 2015 by ship sponsor Janee Bonner in Marionette, Wis.

High Profile on 06/25/2017

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