USS Mason (DDG-87)
2001 Arleigh Burke-class destroyer
USS Mason (DDG-87) is an Arleigh Burke-class (Flight IIA) Aegis guided-missile destroyer in the United States Navy. She is named in honor of the black crewmembers who served on board USS Mason (DE-529) during the period of racial segregation in the United States Armed Forces.
Mason was the 21st ship of this class to be built at Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine, and construction began on 19 January 2000. She was launched and christened on 23 June 2001. On 12 April 2003, a commissioning ceremony was held at Port Canaveral, Florida. She is currently homeported at the Naval Station Mayport in Mayport, Florida.
Etymology
This is the third U.S. Navy warship with the name USS Mason. The first Mason (DD-191), in service from 1920 to 1941, was named for John Young Mason, well known for his service as the secretary of the navy for two American Presidents. The second Mason (DE-529) was named for Ensign Newton Henry Mason, a naval aviator who posthumously was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. This ship is named for the crew of the second Mason (DE-529), as this was the first ship in the US Navy with the distinction of having a predominantly black crew.
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