Ruth Bader Ginsburg Is Getting a Navy Ship Named After Her: 'a Historic Figure'



Ruth Bader Ginsburg is getting a major honor.

The U.S. Navy announced on Thursday that the late Supreme Court justice will have a ship named after her.

Set to be known as The U.S.N.S. Ruth Bader Ginsburg (T-AO 212), the vessel has yet to be constructed but will be part of a class of replenishment oiler ships designed to carry fuel to the Navy's operating carrier strike groups.

The class, as well as the lead ship, T-AO 205, is named in honor of Rep. John Lewis, who died from pancreatic cancer in July 2020.

Ginsburg's daughter, Jane Ginsburg, has also been named as the ship's sponsor, the Navy said.

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"As we close out women's history month, it is my absolute honor to name the next T-AO after the Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsburg," Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said in a statement.

"She is a historic figure who vigorously advocated for women's rights and gender equality," he continued of Ginsburg, who was also a noted attorney arguing for women's rights prior to joining the high court as an associate justice.

"As Secretary of the Navy, it is my aim to ensure equality and eliminate gender discrimination across the Department of the Navy," Del Toro said. "She [Ginsburg] is instrumental to why we now have women of all backgrounds, experiences and talents serving within our ranks, side by side with their male Sailor and Marine counterparts."

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Each ship in the class of vessels honor leaders who fought for civil and human rights. Other ships are named in honor of politician and activist Harvey Milk and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, among others.

The T-AO fleet's primary function is to transport fuel. Each ship has the capacity to carry up to 162,000 barrels of oil, according to the Navy.

The ships, designed by General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, can be as long as 742 feet and can reach a speed of 20 knots, the Navy said.

Ginsburg died on Sept. 18, 2020, at the age of 87 from complications of metastatic cancer.

She was the second woman ever appointed to the Supreme Court and served for 27 years, from 1993 until her death.

In September 2021, Ginsburg's headstone was unveiled at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. She is buried there with her husband, Martin, and her gravestone features her title and the Supreme Court seal.

In the tradition of her Jewish faith, the tombstone was unveiled around the justice's first Yahrzeit, or anniversary of death, allowing her loved ones to come together and honor her memory.

Prior to her burial, Ginsburg became the first woman and the first Jewish person to lie in repose inside the National Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol building.



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