TO BE COMMISSIONED AT BEAUMONT, TEXAS
The U.S. Navy will commission the Coastal Mine Hunter Pelican (MHC 53) at 10
a.m.,
Saturday, November 18, 1995, in Texas at the Port of Beaumont.
Representative Charles Wilson of Texas will introduce the ceremony's principal
speaker,
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison. Other distinguished guests at the ceremony will
include the
Honorable David W. Moore, Mayor of Beaumont.
Coastal mine hunters are named after birds. Two previous minecraft have been
named
Pelican. The first Pelican (AM 27) (1918-1945) participated in clearing the
North Sea Mine
Barrage in 1919. Later reclassified as a small seaplane tender (AVP 6), she
ultimately evaluated
new anti-submarine warfare gear in 1945. The second Pelican (YMS 311)
(1945-1968) earned
nine battle stars in Korea.
Pelican is the third of 12 Osprey class ships scheduled to be built. Ships of
this class are
the world's largest mine hunters to be constructed entirely of fiberglass and
are capable of
performing reconnaissance, classification, and neutralization of moored and
bottom mines in
coastal waters in support of worldwide Navy operations "Forward...From the
Sea." The ship is
armed with a high definition, variable depth sonar, a remotely-operated robotic
submarine used
to neutralize mines and two .50 caliber machine guns.
Pelican is 188 feet in length, has a beam of 36 feet, displaces approximately
895 metric
tons (fully loaded) and will carry a crew of five officers and 46 Sailors.
Lieutenant Commander
Kevin T. Holden, USN, a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, will be the
ship's commanding
officer.
Media wishing to attend the ceremony should contact Ms. Karen Kiesling,
Publicity
Chairperson, Beaumont Commissioning Committee, at (800) 392-4401.
