PASCAGOULA — Ingalls Shipbuilding christened the LHA-6 America — the first U.S. Navy amphibious assault ships of its class — Saturday in Pascagoula.

Among those present were U.S. Representative Steven Palazzo, ship sponsor Lynne Pace, U.S. Marine Corps commandant Gen. James Amos, U.S. Navy Adm. Mark Ferguson, Ingalls Shipbuilding President Irwin Edenzon and Huntington Ingalls Industries President and CEO Mike Petters.

The ritual of ship christenings is a 4,000-year-old tradition, and for more than a century throughout the world, women have traditionally christened ships.

Lynne Pace is the wife of retired U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. She has been a Marine Corps spouse for more than 40 years, focusing on supporting military families and improving their quality of life.

The ceremony opened with a performance by The Liberty Belles singing patriotic songs before a responsive crowd. Sixteen-year-old Abigail Osteen of Ocean Springs sang the national anthem.

“This ship, where ever it sails, will represent the ideals our Founding Fathers laid out in the Declaration of Independence — ‘Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,'” Petters said.

Petters said there is still debate today over the cost and size of the U.S. Navy, and many would argue the need to deploy American ships all over the world is increasing.

“We build ships to help accomplish missions of the future, and most of those missions are unknown today,” he said.

“Ingalls shipbuilders take pride in their work and the fact that this ship is not only named America, but it is made in America.”

Palazzo said, “Building these ships is worth every dollar of defense investment, period. That is why we will continue to build the most capable warships the world has ever seen right here in Mississippi.”

Pace thanked the people whose “hard work went into building this ship,” and then proceeded to christen the America by smashing a champagne bottle on its bow.

LHA-6 America is the first and largest of the Navy’s America-class amphibious assault ships. The aviation capabilities of these warfare ships have been improved with enlarged hangar decks; realignment and expansion of the aviation maintenance facilities; more available storage space; and increased fuel capacity.

America will have a crew of 65 officers and 994 enlisted men and women. It weighs about 45,000 tons, is nearly three football fields long and 20 stories high with two acres of flight deck.