Feb. 14 (UPI) -- Two Cherokee Nation officials attended a keel laying ceremony this week at Gulf Island Shipyard in Houma, La., for the future USNS Cherokee Nation, the U.S. Navy announced Thursday.
Chuck Hoskin, Jr., the principal chief of the Cherokee Nation and Victoria Mitchell Vazquez, the ship's sponsor and deputy speaker of the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council, attended the Navy's ceremony Wednesday to authenticate the keel for the new vessel, which will be the second ship in the Navy's Navajo class of towing, salvage and rescue vessels.