House Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined a bipartisan delegation in a ceremony christening the USNS John Lewis ship one year after the death of the late lawmaker and civil rights activist.
The USNS John Lewis, which is 746 feet long, was built as the first in a new class of ships operated by the Navy's Military Sealift Command. The Navy plans to buy 20 of the new John Lewis-class of ships.
The ship was built at the General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in San Diego, where the lawmakers gathered with top military brass and local officials for the christening.
Speakers at the event including Pelosi praised the late John Lewis, the son of sharecroppers who became a Freedom Rider during the civil rights movement before he was elected in 1986.
'Officially as House Speaker, it is my privilege to bring greetings from the Congress of the United States where our colleague John Lewis served for over 33 years,' Pelosi said during her speech.
'Personally, it is my honor to honor our dear friend and I know in saying that that I speak for all my colleagues who are here.'
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined a bipartisan delegation in a ceremony christening the USNS John Lewis ship one year after the death of the late lawmaker
Pelosi also praised the military and members of the military who attended the event on Saturday
Pelosi, pictured center with the bipartisan delegation, also thanked the 'the men and women of labor who built the ship with great skill and great patriotism'
In her speech, Pelosi also said it was 'fitting' to honor John Lewis with the ship 'because John Lewis was a warrior'
The ship was built at the General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in San Diego, where the lawmakers gathered with top military brass and local officials for the christening
Pelosi also praised the military and members of the military who attended the event on Saturday.
'All who serve our country in uniform, thank you for the inspiration you are for us in congress to build a future worthy of your sacrifice,' Pelosi said.
She also thanked the 'the men and women of labor who built the ship with great skill and great patriotism.'
'This is a ritual and we have to recognize all that goes into it, intellectually, personally, and in a constructive way in every way,' she continued.
In her speech, Pelosi also said it was 'fitting' to honor John Lewis with the ship 'because John Lewis was a warrior.'
'One of the mottos of the Navy is semper fortis, always courageous. John Lewis was indeed always courageous. How perfect it is that the motto of the ship bearing his name is 'unremarkable perseverance',' she said.
'This ship will be a beacon to the world reminding all who see it of the persistence and courage of John Lewis - and the finest Navy and Merchant Marines in the history of the world that this ship is a part of.'
Pelosi noted in her speech that under former Navy Secretary Ray Mabus for the symbolism in naming the new ships after civil rights leaders, including Harvey Milk, Earl Warren, Sojourner Truth, Lucy Stone and Robert F. Kennedy.
John Lewis, the son of sharecroppers who went on to become a Freedom Rider, was elected to Congress in 1986
Rodney Crowell, right, performs in the Ryman Auditorium during a celebration of life marking the one-year anniversary of U.S. Rep. John Lewis's death on Saturday in Nashville, Tennessee
'It's fitting that we honor John Lewis with this formidable ship because John Lewis was a warrior,' said Pelosi.
She added: 'John's great courage made him revered in the congress. In the halls of the capitol, he was
