The Commissioning of the USS TED STEVENS (DDG-128) took place on October 2, 2026 in Whittier, Alaska. This Commissioning was a celebration of the life of Senator Ted Stevens, who not only represented the state for decades in the upper chamber of Congress, but helped his great state achieve statehood and shape its character. The latest Arleigh Burke Class destroyer left its homeport in Norfolk Naval Station in Norfolk, Virginia, traversed the Panama Canal, and was escorted during part of its journey north by the USS DANIEL INOUYE (DDG-118) in a touching tribute to the deep and enduring friendship between Senators Stevens and Inouye.
Ted Stevens was born and spent his early childhood in Indianapolis, Indiana and later Redondo Beach, California. After one semester of college, he pursued his dream of becoming an aviator and joined the Army Air Corps. In 1944 and 1945, he flew transport aircraft in the China-Burma-India (Himalayan) theater, often flying dangerous missions “over the hump” to and from China, unescorted by fighter aircraft. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal as well as a medal from the Chinese Nationalist government for his actions. After the war, he enrolled and graduated from UCLA and eventually Harvard Law School where he developed an interest in Maritime Law. He joined a law firm after graduation which represented the owner of a large Alaska coal mine, beginning his relationship with that territory, eventually moving to Fairbanks in 1953 with his first wife Ann. During the Eisenhower Administration, Stevens worked as solicitor for the Interior Department in Washington and soon became the point person for the Alaskan Statehood movement. Ted Stevens drafted key legislative proposals which were vital to the eventual approval of statehood on January 3rd, 1959. Ted went on to serve elected office in the Alaska House of Representatives and then began his storied career in the United States Senate, serving forty years and ten days with many years as Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. In 1978, Ted Stevens and his wife Ann were in a plane crash which took her life as well as four others. Ted and Ann had five children, including two daughters: Elizabeth who died in 2014 and Susan Stevens Covich who is one of the co-Sponsors of USS TED STEVENS. Ted then married Catherine Anne Chandler in 1980. Catherine and their daughter Lily Stevens Becker are also co-Sponsors of USS TED STEVENS. Senator Stevens died in a private plane crash on August 9, 2010 on his way to a private fishing lodge with friends.
The USS TED STEVENS arrived in Whittier, AK on September 27th to begin Commissioning activities. The Commissioning Committee and the Navy had planned to hold the event at the Glacier Gateway Cruise Terminal, a new facility built within the past year in Whittier. A fire broke out on the designated dock on September 14th, causing extensive damage. Arrangements were hastily made to shift the Commissioning to the Alaska Cruise Ship terminal on the opposite side of the fjord. Whittier is a stunning location encompassing a small fjord on Prince William Sound, encircled by tall cliffs in every direction. The town was developed during WWII to serve as a secret shipping depot, inaccessible to Japanese bombers. All residents of the town lived in a single apartment building and a secret single lane rail tunnel was the only land access in or out. This tunnel, which is still in use, uses the same lane to accommodate trains, cars trucks and buses, and the direction of traffic changing every thirty minutes. Trains and buses ferried guests through this tunnel on the day of the Commissioning from hotels in Girdwood and Anchorage. The town of Whittier played host to the ship’s crew of 340 of the ship throughout the week, despite having a permanent population of only 242 inhabitants. Eighty-five percent of the population lives in that one apartment building (Begich Towers Condominium), and their economy depends on tourism, the cruise industry and commercial fishing. The cruise season spans from late April to September 30th.
The Commissioning Committee hosted a formal Chairman’s Reception on Friday night (October 2nd) at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage. As hundreds of guests mingled, an array of speakers celebrated the vast accomplishments of Senator Stevens. In attendance were Acting Secretary of the Navy the Honorable Hung Cao, former Secretaries of the Navy Sean O’Keefe and Carlos Del Toro, and both US Senators from Alaska, Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan. Sean O’Keefe, a long-time associate of Senator Stevens who called him his mentor, along with his son Kevin, were among the four survivors of the 2010 plane crash in remote Alaska. Since that event, Secretary O’Keefe has been a strong advocate for the naming of a ship after the late Senator. Secretary. Richard V. Spencer named the ship USS TED STEVENS in January 2019.
The speakers at the reception all spoke about different accomplishments of Senator Stevens. Each one by itself would be a capstone in a remarkable life of service to his state. In the aggregate, these stories were evidence of an American whose contributions to his state and country stand quite alone. In the early years, Ted Stevens played a seminal role in the creation of the State of Alaska, negotiating its boundaries and establishing a unique zone of federal presidential authority for Defense of the US. He fought relentlessly for the negotiation and resolution of land claims by Alaskan native Americans. In these negotiations he advocated for a win-win solution decades before the phrase became a cliché. Ted Stevens fought fiercely to establish a 200-mile fishing radius around the state, protecting the Alaskan fishing industry from the predatory fishing practices of China, Russia and others. Olympic swimming Gold Medalist Donna DeVarona gave a passionate endorsement of the work the Senator had done over decades to support women’s athletics. His crowning achievement in that sphere was the enactment ofTitle IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 which equalized opportunity for women in college athletics.
The Maids and Matron of Honor for the TED STEVENS, all granddaughters of the Senator, will make sure the ship is supported by family members for decades to come. The Matron of Honor, Laura-Beth Harper Sexton is the daughter of Sponsor Susan Stevens Covich and currently resides in Scottsdale, Arizona. The three Maids of Honor, Chelsea Rose Becker, Megan Hays Becker and Alison Elldean Becker are daughters of Sponsor Lily Stevens Becker and live with their parents in Alaska. Captain Mary Katey Hays has been Prospective Commander of the ship since its Christening and built and trained the crew from 1 (herself) to the full complement of 340. Throughout that time, she has been in contact with the ship Sponsors and has built a close relationship with the Stevens family.
The Commissioning Ceremony in Whittier on Saturday morning was scheduled for noon to allow time to transport guests to the dockside via bus or train, through the 2.5-mile* Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel and on to the Cruise Terminal. A cold rain did not dampen the excitement of all who attended nor dim the beauty of this majestic ship sitting proudly in the fjord, the mountains surrounding it dusted with the first autumn snow. USS TED STEVENS (DDG-128) is the third Flight III Arleigh Burke Class Destroyer: a lethal, state of the art, workhorse of the Navy. While wearing plastic rain parkas supplied by the Commissioning committee the guests filled the seats lined up along the dock next to the TED STEVENS. Once the platform party was announced and honors and an 19-gun salute was rendered to Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy. Chaplain USAF Captain Henry delivered an invocation in the form of a poem. Following the invocation, Governor Mike Dunleavy addressed the gathering. Congressman Nick Begich III, whose family name is memorialized in Whittier’s Begich Towers, spoke of the crew’s responsibility to carry forward Senator Stevens’ legacy and Alaska’s growing importance to national security. Congressman Nick Begich III bears the same name as the building called home by the townspeople of Whittier. He spoke of the crew and its duty to define the nature of this ship, inspired by the legacy of Ted Stevens and aware of the growing importance of Alaska to our nation’s security. His presence reminds us of the multi-generational public service of Alaskan families present on this day: Begich, Murkowski and Sullivan. Generations of these families served alongside one man: Ted Stevens.
Senator Dan Sullivan, who served as a Marine, spoke of the strong support Senator Stevens gave the military. His wife was a Stevens staffer in Washington when he met her. Senator Sullivan described the family atmosphere of Stevens’ office unique in the Senate as she was a recipient of the affection the Senator had for his staff. Senator Lisa Murkowski, the senior Senator from Alaska and the first Alaska-born Senator, spoke of a man “who led by example. He poured every ounce of himself into caring for his family and for the state and the people he loved so much.” The ship’s motto encompasses the man she described: “Lead with Courage”. Admiral Stephen Koehler, Commander Pacific Fleet, spoke next, stating “ I am so fired up to bring a warship to the Fleet.” “Throughout its history, the American destroyer has embodied our Navy’s enduring ability to project decisive power around the globe, multi-mission by design, our destroyers charge into the weapons engagement zone and dominate any adversary.”
The Acting Secretary of the Navy, the Honorable Hung Cao, gave the principal address. “Today TED STEVENS is not getting ready to join the Fleet, TED STEVENS is the Fleet.” He then addressed the crew and applauded their roles as plankowners and acknowledged that they are establishing the culture of the ship for all future crews. He challenged them to “Lead with Courage.” Captain Hays then asked Secretary Cao to place the ship in commission, which he did. The First Watch was set with the presentation of the long glass by the Honorable Sean O’Keefe. Representing the Sponsors, Lily Stevens Becker gave the final address. She highlighted her father’s focus on the role of others and teamwork throughout his journey from a 19-year-old enlistee to a senior statemen, always deflecting praise aimed at him onto his team. She, along with her mother Catherine and sister Susan then gave the command to “Man our ship and bring her to life.”
The TED STEVENS Commissioning Committee, led by Mrs. Cherie L. Curry and Representative Chuck Copp, exemplified “Alaska Tough.” Despite the weather and the dock fire, they delivered a memorable commissioning that placed the ship and Whittier’s extraordinary beauty center stage. As the crew ran aboard to “Anchors Aweigh,” Captain Wilson offered an original poem as a benediction, sending the ship off with the blessings of all who attended.
One final Reflection:
On a more personal note, I have been reflecting on the USS TED STEVENS and a moment I will long remember.
As our bus drove away, I caught one final, profound glimpse of the USS TED STEVENS resting quietly in the fjord waters, alone yet lovingly cradled by a crescent of towering white mountains, in the palm of Alaska’s wild, untouched grandeur. The scene seemed to capture the scope of Senator Stevens’ vision—a powerful reminder of how one man’s profound dedication reached every corner of this vast state, leaving a legacy as enduring as the landscape itself.
*The tunnel, largely unchanged from 1944, is the longest tunnel in North America!
Submitted by Ann Zumwalt
