City recognizes Navy history

Wed., June 27, 2007

Courtesy of Greater Spokane Incorporated The Spokesman-Review

On June 8 at the annual Rose Festival in Portland, Ore., the Spokane Trophy, created by the City of Spokane and the Spokane Chamber of Commerce 100 years ago, was awarded to the U.S.S. Bunker Hill (CG-52), homeported in San Diego.

The Spokane Trophy, designed to embody the spirit of Spokane and its pride in the Navy, was created to honor its sailors and President Theodore Roosevelt’s “man behind the gun.” With the memory of Spokane’s own navy hero John Robert Monaghan, a sailor who sacrificed his own life to save a fellow officer in Samoa in 1899, Spokane was proud of our country’s Navy and wanted to honor “the men who wear the blue.”

The trophy is awarded to the battleship or armored cruiser of either the Atlantic or Pacific fleet who exhibited the highest final record of merit with all her turret guns.

“It is an honor to receive this award, but particularly so in the Spokane Trophy’s 100th year,” said Capt. Charles Gaouette, Bunker Hill commanding officer. “Inscribed on the Spokane Trophy are the names of the ships that have won the award for the last 100 years. I am proud of what this crew has accomplished and that they have placed their names next to the giants of the Pacific Fleet who preceded them.”

The U.S.S. Bunker Hill, a guided-missile cruiser, was commissioned on September 20, 1986, and holds the longest active streak of Battle “E” awards for a guided-missile cruiser. The Bunker Hill is capable of maintaining herself at sea for months at a time. However, even with all of her advanced technology, it is ultimately the crew that remains Bunker Hill’s most formidable asset. Manned by nearly 400 officers and crew, Bunker Hill is readily equipped for immediate deployment in support of US national interests. In fact, the ship and its crew provided humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to the victims of the December 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia.

The Navy League, a civilian organization dedicated to the education of our citizens, including our elected officials, and the support of the men and women of the sea services and their families, has been the steward of the Spokane Trophy over the years, and has provided a plaque to the winning ship for the past several years.

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