Navy to name ship after Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. Maj. John L. Canley

Nov. 11 (UPI) -- A future expeditionary sea base ship will honor a Medal of Honor recipient, Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. John L. Canley, the Secretary of the Navy announced this week.

"To honor the remarkable Vietnam generation on this 245th birthday of the United States Marine Corps, ESB-6 will be named USS John L. Canley to honor a man who has exemplified all that has made our service strong, and our nation thrive," Secretary Kenneth J. Braithwaite said in a statement on Tuesday.

Canley received the Navy Cross for heroic action during the 1968 Battle of Hue in Vietnam, an award upgraded to the Medal of Honor in 2018. He retired from the military in 1981, and at 82, resides in his longtime hometown of Caledonia. Ark.

Naming an expeditionary sea base after Canley follows a tradition honoring Marines who served with distinction.

Previous ESBs have been named after Medal of Honor recipients Lance Cpl. Miguel Keith and Warrant Officer Herschel "Woody" Williams, and Lt. Gen. Lewis B. Puller, who with five Navy Cross awards is regarded as the most decorated soldier in Marine Corps history.

The ESB class of ships is a variant of the Expeditionary Transfer Dock ship, designed as a modular seagoing platform for the transfer of supplies and troops from ship to shore.

At 785 feet in length, the ships include a flight deck for helicopters, and are designed to include aviation facilities, berthing, equipment staging support and command and control assets.