USS Hershel “Woody” Williams arrived at the US Naval Base at Souda Bay, in Crete, early on Tuesday morning.
The ship, which is the second of a new class of sea-basing ships, set sail from Virginia on July 27, for its inaugural deployment following its commissioning in March. Last week, US Ambassador to Greece, Geoffrey Pyatt tweeted that USS Hershel “Woody” Williams will be arriving in Greece after stopping in Naples for a routine logistics stop.
Very proud of the partnership with @Hellenic_MOD at @NSA_SoudaBay And great to see how we continue to build on our enhanced MDCA @npanagioto https://t.co/hBl41TS9iS
— George J. Tsunis (@USAmbassadorGR) August 18, 2020
Its crew consists of a mix of U.S. Navy Sailors and Military Sealift Command civilian mariners.
At 230 meters, the ship features a 4,830 square-meter four-spot flight deck. Further features include a hangar, mission deck, and work and living spaces for hundreds of embarked personnel.
It is named after Marine Corps veteran Hershel “Woody” Williams, known for his heroism during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II. Williams was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman on Oct. 5, 1945.
That’s a big ship! pic.twitter.com/Eheug99CAn
— George J. Tsunis (@USAmbassadorGR) August 18, 2020
