By Catherine M. Welch
Wilmington, NC – Another vessel will be commissioned in Wilmington.
The City of Wilmington says it's a guided-missile destroyer called The Gravely. The ship is named after the Navy's first black Vice Admiral, Samuel Lee Gravely.
The ship is more than five hundred feet long - one of the largest destroyers ever built. Wilmington Mayor Saffo is excited that the ship is coming to Wilmington.
"The Navy just doesn't bring in a destroyer into your community without a lot of preparation. We would really like to see what we can do with the United States Navy and the North Carolina Ports Authority about making this ship more available to the general public, where the general public can see it."
The mayor says he doesn't know how much the commissioning of the destroyer will cost the city and the county, but he hopes any costs will be offset by visitors coming to see the ship.
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