US Navy warship to bear name of Medal of Honor recipient

By The Associated Press

A U.S. Navy destroyer is going to bear the name of a Medal of Honor recipient from Massachusetts who continued to direct his unit despite being severely wounded in Vietnam. Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro announced Wednesday that an Arleigh Burke destroyer will be named after retired Navy Capt. Thomas Gunning Kelley. The Massachusetts native was leading a column of eight river assault craft on a mission to extract infantry soldiers from a riverbank when the boat came under fire in 1969. He overcame his injuries and continued to serve. After his military service, Kelley worked for the Massachusetts Department of Veterans’ Services, becoming secretary in 2003.