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By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief
BATH, Maine — A new U.S. Navy warship honoring one of Ludington’s greatest military heroes was christened Saturday at Bath Iron Works, ensuring the legacy of Medal of Honor recipient Master Chief Hospital Corpsman William Richard Charette will sail with the nation’s fleet for decades to come.
The USS William Charette (DDG 130), an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, was named for the Korean War hero whose extraordinary courage while treating wounded Marines under enemy fire earned him the nation’s highest military decoration.
During the ceremony, acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao said the destroyer will carry more than advanced military capabilities.
“Serving as the shield of the Fleet, protecting the Carrier Strike Group from air and missile threats and maintaining open sea lanes for maritime commerce—this premier surface combatant will be a cornerstone of America’s new Golden Fleet,” Cao said. “But this warship will carry more than just advanced technology, she will also set sail bearing the legacy of Master Chief Petty Officer William Charette, whose heroic actions represent the very best of our naval service.”
For Ludington residents, the ship’s name honors a man whose remarkable military service followed a childhood marked by hardship.
William Charette
Charette was born March 29, 1932, in Ludington to William and Maude Charette. Tragedy struck early in his life when both of his parents died within three months of one another in 1938, leaving 6-year-old Bill and his older sister, Margaret, orphaned. The children were adopted and raised by their uncle and aunt, Frank and Bertha Charette, in Ludington, where Bill attended local schools before graduating from Ludington High School in 1950. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy shortly afterward.
Less than three years later, Charette found himself serving as a Navy corpsman attached to the Fifth Marine Regiment, First Marine Division during some of the fiercest fighting of the Korean War.
On March 26-27, 1953, during the Battle for Outpost Vegas, Charette repeatedly exposed himself to heavy enemy fire to treat wounded Marines. When an enemy grenade landed near him and a wounded Marine he was treating, Charette threw himself over the Marine to shield him from the blast.
The explosion knocked him unconscious, tore away his helmet, destroyed his medical kit and left him suffering from shrapnel wounds. When he regained consciousness, he discovered he could not see because of blood covering his face. Despite his injuries, he resumed treating casualties, tearing his own uniform into bandages after losing his medical supplies. He later carried critically wounded Marines to safety while standing fully exposed to enemy gunfire.
MCP file photo of the re-installation of the “Ludington’s Own” mural at the Ludington American Legion.
Originally recommended for the Navy Cross, Charette instead received the Medal of Honor from President Dwight D. Eisenhower during a White House ceremony on Jan. 12, 1954.
He later transferred to the Navy’s submarine service, serving until his retirement in 1977 as a master chief hospital corpsman. Charette died March 18, 2012, just 11 days before his 80th birthday.
His legacy has long been remembered in his hometown.
In June 2017, a bronze bust of Charette was unveiled at the Mason County Veterans Mall at Stearns Park in Ludington, honoring his military service and sacrifice. He is also featured on the “Medal of Honor Recipients: Ludington’s Own” mural at the Ludington American Legion Post on North James Street. The mural, maintained by the Mason County Historical Society, honors Mason County recipients of the nation’s highest military award.
Metal of Honor recipient Duane Dewey of Irons looks at the bust of his comrade, William Charette at Stearns Park in Ludington. MCP file photo from 2017.
Charette’s legacy also continues through family members in Ludington, including his nephew, Tom Ezdebski.
Members of Charette’s family, including his children and grandchildren, attended Saturday’s christening ceremony and participated in the traditional naval celebration.
The ceremony featured remarks by Gov. Janet Mills of Maine, U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King, Rear Adm. Matthew Case, acting U.S. Navy surgeon general, Medal of Honor recipient Col. Harvey C. Barnum Jr., Michael Charette, the ship namesake’s son, and Charles F. Krugh, president of General Dynamics Bath Iron Works.
In keeping with naval tradition, Charette’s daughter, Kathryn Charette Donovan, served as the ship’s sponsor, ceremonially christening the destroyer by breaking a bottle across its bow on behalf of her sisters, Margaret Ann Henderson and Laura Charette Bennett.
The USS William Charette is one of the Navy’s newest Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, designed to protect carrier strike groups and conduct air, surface and subsurface warfare missions around the world. As it enters service, the vessel will carry the name of a Ludington sailor whose selfless actions on a Korean battlefield more than 70 years ago continue to inspire generations of Americans.
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