VINCENNES, Ind. -- A monument to Navy ships bearing the name Vincennes has a special aura, a former commander said Wednesday during a dedication ceremony.
William Rogers, who was commanding the USS Vincennes last year when its missiles downed an Iranian jetliner, said the new monument 'is more than cold stone and metal.'
'It represents the long blue line of proud men who have gone down to the sea in ships aboard ships named Vincennes,' he said.
The four-sided, pyramid shaped granite stone monument contains bronze plaques outlining brief histories of the four ships that have carried the name Vincennes.
The current bearer of the name is a cruiser, which gained international attention last year when one of its missiles downed an Iranian jet, killing 290 people.
The second Vincennes was a heavy cruiser sunk Aug. 9, 1942 off Sabo Island in the Pacific Ocean with 332 aboard. Wednesday's ceremony marked the 47th anniversary of that tragedy.
The third Vincennes was a light cruiser commissioned in 1944.
