TAMPA, Fla. — The U.S.S. Jack H. Lucas warship is officially part of America's Navy fleet.
On Saturday in front of hundreds of people, the warship was honored during a commissioning ceremony at Port Tampa Bay.
The warship is the Navy's first Flight Three Arleigh Burke-class destroyer and includes upgrades to offensive and defensive weapon systems. It also has upgraded electrical power and cooling systems.
It was named after the youngest Medal of Honor recipient since the Civil War – Jack Lucas. He was 17 years old when he risked his life by jumping onto two live grenades during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II.
According to Lucas' obituary in the Hattiesburg Sun Herald, he also survived a paratrooper training jump during which both of his parachutes failed during the 1960s. He died of cancer in 2008 at the age of 80.
At the ceremony, dignitaries say the ship and its crew will draw strength from Lucas' legacy.
The ship will now operate out of San Diego.
10 Tampa Bay's Andrew Polino contributed to this report.