
NNS to Christen Arkansas (SSN 800) Saturday; Tickets Available
Published December 4, 2024
The Arkansas (SSN 800) christening ceremony on Saturday will honor the thousands of Newport News shipbuilders who contributed to construction of the Virginia-class submarine as well as the ship’s sponsors, who are pioneers in racial justice.
The ceremony will be livestreamed beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7, at www.HII.com/events/SSN800, and on the HII and Jennifer Boykin Facebook pages.
The ship’s sponsors are the six women of the historic group known as the Little Rock Nine, the first African American students to attend all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, during desegregation. However, the ceremony will honor all nine members.
Three women will represent the group at the ceremony: Elizabeth Eckford, Gloria Ray Karlmark and Carlotta Walls LaNier.
LaNier will speak at the ceremony and perform the traditional honor of breaking a bottle of American sparkling wine on the submarine’s hull. Those interested should visit the Communications Division Office in Bldg. 520-1 from 6-9:30 a.m. or from 1-4 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 5. Each employee can request up to four tickets.