As with every ship we build, Ingalls shipbuilders knew they were sending more than just steel out to sea when they delivered the USS Cole (DDG 67) to the Navy in 1996.
WATCH: Click the video above to see memories from the Cole
Four years later, on October 12, 2000, that trust was tested in the most tragic way. A terrorist attack on the Cole took the lives of 17 Sailors and wounded 39 more. The ship itself was scarred but unbroken, holding strong and saving the lives of the other service members aboard.
Two months later, somber shipbuilders lined the waterfront as the ship came back to Ingalls, a wounded warrior returning from battle, carried on the back of a barge. For every Ingalls shipbuilder, no matter their role, it became personal.
“We did it right the first time, and when it came back and we saw our work destroyed, we knew exactly how to fix it to make it strong a second time,” said Gerry Rucker, Pipe superintendent. “We had a great sense of pride watching the ship leave again, knowing it’s about to go take care of business.”
Nearly a thousand shipbuilders went to work, determined to return the ship stronger than before. Every weld, every bolt, every cable laid back into place carried even more meaning than before.
It was honoring the fallen, standing firm against those who struck and proving what American resolve looks like. It was a reaffirmation of the promise we make with every keel we lay to not only build these ships, but to serve them for as long as they serve our nation.
“The pride we felt when the Cole first arrived at the shipyard and then returned to the fleet, it's the same pride we bring today to everything we build and deliver to the U.S. Navy,” said Pamela Moore, configuration analyst.
In April 2002, shipbuilders once again lined the waterfront, this time to watch with pride as the Cole sailed away from Ingalls once again. Rebuilt with the same tenacity of spirit that put her to sea the first time, DDG 67 was returned to service as a living symbol of strength, endurance and the American spirit.
Today, the USS Cole still carries the spirit, pride and craftsmanship of every Ingalls shipbuilder who answered the call then and continues to do so today.
Do you have memories of the USS Cole? Share them with us by emailing IngallsEditor@hii.com