“Their legacies will endure through these aircraft carriers, which serve as formidable platforms dedicated to safeguarding our national security and strengthening our resolve to protect this nation against any who would threaten our freedoms and way of life.” -NavyTimes
The USS William J. Clinton (CVN-82) and USS George W. Bush (CVN-83), the 42nd and 43rd Presidents of the U.S., are the latest in the Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers, President Joe Biden and U.S. Navy recently announced.
According to the Navy Times [1], Clinton was noted for his actions as President:
Clinton served in the Oval Office for two terms from 1993 to 2001 and led several military operations with zero combat casualties, including Operation Uphold Democracy in 1994, Operation Deliberate Force in 1995 and Operation Allied Force in 1999, according to the release.
Clinton also ordered a U.S. Navy cruise missile strike against Iraqi intelligence headquarters in 1993 after a reported Iraqi assassination attempt against his predecessor, former President George H.W. Bush.
George W. Bush was remembered for his response to protect Americans after 9/11 (Navy Times [1]):
Former President George W. Bush is remembered for his response to the devastating al-Qaida terrorist attacks against the U.S. on Sept. 11, 2001, which killed 2,977 people. He spearheaded Operation Enduring Freedom and banded 25 NATO partners and 17 nations together in an attempt to target and destroy terrorist organizations in Afghanistan. He created the Department of Homeland Security, signed the U.S. Patriot Act and executed Operation Iraqi Freedom, which ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and ended a rule that lasted from 1979 to 2003.
Read more at the Navy Times (Navy names aircraft carriers after former presidents Bush and Clinton [1]).
Photo: President George H.W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush at ceremony honoring the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush in Newport News, Va, in August 2003. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Photographer’s Mate Johnny Bivera.