Navy commissions destroyer named for the first MCPON

The Navy commissioned the guided-missile destroyer Delbert D. Black Saturday morning.

Named for the first master chief petty officer of the Navy, the Arleigh Burke class destroyer is the result of more than 10 years’ work by multiple MCPONs to name a ship for Black.

Ten former MCPONs and current MCPON Russell L. Smith attended the ceremony in Port Canaveral, Florida.

“This ship doesn’t just recognize Del. It recognizes all sailors for the contributions they’ve made throughout the years. It recognizes how important a senior enlisted voice is to the Navy,” said Steven S. Giordano, 14th MCPON.

Black, who died in 2000, was a World War II veteran who survived the attack on Pearl Harbor. But despite his hallowed status, it wasn’t always smooth sailing for him.

As the first to be appointed as highest-ranking enlisted sailor, it was not uncommon for his position to be met with resentment and objections from the officers he served with, his wife of more than 50 years, Ima J. Black, recalled.

Ima Black, also a Navy veteran, met her husband at a basketball game while serving as a storekeeper first class, according to the Navy’s All Hands Magazine. She served under the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service effort established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command reported.

Black recounted the struggles to establish the MCPON position himself in a video interview released by the Navy earlier this month.