William T Sampson News

Bayonne Dry Dock & Repair Corp held a christening ceremony on December 9 for its new mobile boat hauler, dedicated in honor of Christopher Edward Cranston, a NYPD Detective who died of a 9/11-related illness in July 2019.The late Staten Island native—a first-responder during and in the aftermath of the September 11 World Trade Center attacks—was the brother of the Bayonne, N.J. ship repair yard’s president, Mike Cranston, who said the new lift is a fitting tribute to someone who always prioritized family and service.

The fourth ship in the Navy's history named in honor of Rear Adm. William T. Sampson, USS Sampson (DDG 102), was commissioned Nov. 3 at Massport's Black Falcon Cruise Ship Terminal with more than a thousand spectators in attendance braving the wind and rain. The new Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyer, built at the Bath Iron Works in Maine, was the first ship in five years commissioned in Boston. Sampson's last assignment in the Navy was commander of the Boston Navy Yard, and all four destroyers named in his honor have been commissioned in this historic harbor. Sampson's commissioning officially began with the traditional 19-gun salute by the oldest field artillery regiment in the nation, 1-101st Field Artillery Battalion, Massachusetts Army National Guard.

Sailors man the rails aboard guided-missile destroyer USS Sampson (DDG 102) during a rehearsal for the ship's commissioning ceremony. Sampson is the 52nd of 62 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, and is named for Rear Adm. William T. Sampson (1840-1902), a naval hero during the Spanish-American War. Three previous destroyers have been named for Sampson, and have all been commissioned in Boston. U.S. Navy photo by Cmdr. Jane Campbell (RELEASED)

The latest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, Sampson (DDG 102), will be christened Sept. 16 during a ceremony at Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine. The ship is named in honor of Rear Adm. William Thomas Sampson (1840-1902), a naval hero in the Spanish-American War. After graduating first in his class at the U.S. Naval Academy in 1861, Sampson served in the Civil War, during which he survived a mine explosion in 1865. When the United States declared war against Spain following the sinking of the battleship Maine, Sampson assumed command of the U.S. North Atlantic Squadron with the rank of rear admiral. Sailing from Key West, Fla., in 1898, aboard USS New York (CA 2), his squadron established a blockade on the Spanish Fleet in the harbor of Santiago, Cuba.