Namesake:
Rear Admiral Gordon Pai'ea Chung-Hoon
Rear Admiral Gordon Pai'ea Chung-Hoon was born on July 25, 1910, in
Honolulu, Hawaii. The second youngest of five Chung-Hoon children, he
attended the U.S. Naval Academy and graduated in May 1934. While at the
Naval Academy, he was a valued member of the Navy Football team.
Rear Admiral Chung-Hoon is a recipient of the Navy Cross and Silver
Star for conspicuous gallantry and extraordinary heroism as Commanding
Officer of USS Sigsbee (DD 502) from May 1944 to October 1945. In the
spring of 1945, Sigsbee assisted in the destruction of 20 enemy planes
while screening a carrier strike force off the Japanese island of
Kyushu. On April 14, 1945, while on radar picket station off Okinawa, a
kamikaze crashed into Sigsbee, reducing her starboard engine to five
knots and knocking out the ship's port engine and steering control.
Despite the damage, Admiral Chung-Hoon, then a Commander, valiantly
kept his anti-aircraft batteries delivering "prolonged and effective
fire" against the continuing enemy air attack while simultaneously
directing the damage control efforts that allowed Sigsbee to make port
under her own power.
After retiring from the Navy in 1959, Rear Admiral Chung-Hoon was
appointed by William Quinn, Hawaii’s first elected governor
since statehood, to serve as director of the state Department of
Agriculture. Rear Admiral Chung-Hoon died in July 1979.
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Ship's Crest:
 Supporters:The
crossed officer sword and enlisted cutlass represent the leadership,
professional excellence, and teamwork in the face of great challenges
that beget honor and virtue.
The Shield: Dark blue and gold are
colors
traditionally used by the Navy and recall the sea and excellence. Red
is the color of zeal, courage and sacrifice. The trident and three
tines represent maritime dominance from the combination of air, surface
and undersea warfare technologies into a single AEGIS platform. The
octagon shield shape alludes to the AEGIS configuration on a DDG. The
ship's namesake honors Navy Rear Admiral Gordon P. Chung-Hoon,
recipient of the Navy Cross and Silver Star, for his conspicuous
gallantry and extraordinary heroism as Commanding Officer of the
Sigsbee, DD 502. He valiantly kept his antiaircraft batteries
delivering effective fire in the face of catastrophic damage by a
Kamikaze.
The Crest: The Hawaiian warrior
helmet refers to
Hawaii, Rear Admiral Chung-Hoon's birthplace, and emphasizes the
fighting spirit. The anchor commemorates his distinguished Navy career.
The palm wreath symbolizes victory and the triumph of the human spirit
Motto: " Imua e na Koa Kai"
(Hawaiian for "Go Forward Sea Warriors")
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