BATH(WGME)—A crowd gathered to see the christening of the U.S Navy’s newest guided missile destroyer the future USS John Basilone at Bath Iron Works on Saturday.

The new ship is being named after Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone who received the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross for his heroism in the Battle of Guadalcanal and Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II.

At the ceremony there were multiple speakers such as Gov. Janet Mills, Sen. Susan Collins, David Basilone a brother of John, the principal speaker Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Troy E. Black, and more.

Ryan Manion, president of the Travis Manion Foundation, and Amy Looney Heffernan, vice-president of the Travis Manion Foundation, are the ship’s sponsors.

“Make no mistake, that when you see this ship, and you see the name that it bears, the warrior spirit of Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone and every generation of Marines who like me and countless others have followed in his footsteps lives within the soul of this vessel,” said Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Troy E. Black. “This name represents the perseverance of America, the legacy of the Marine Corps and the grit of our enlisted Marines.”

Chuck Krugh, president of General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, told the gathering of roughly 2,000 shipbuilders, family members and invited guests that Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone understood that expertise comes through constant effort and that this ship will honor the national hero for decades to come.

“Today at Bath Iron Works, we’re not going to the front lines ourselves, but our work is,” Krugh said, “and we will do everything we can to make sure that the ships that sail down the Kennebec will be the best built to protect the men and women of our Armed Forces.”