DDG 131 at Ingalls Shipbuilding, July 10, 2026 (Photo by Frank Corder | Magnolia Tribune)
- DDG 131 is named in honor Korean War POW George M. Neal. Neal was an Aviation Machinist’s Mate 3rd Class who was awarded the Navy Cross for his heroic actions while attempting to rescue a fellow service member.
The christening ceremony for DDG 131, the U.S. Navy’s newest Arleigh-Burke class destroyer, is being held at Ingalls Shipbuilding, a division of HII, in Pascagoula on Saturday, July 11.
The George M. Neal is the fourth Flight III destroyer to be constructed at Ingalls. According to Ingalls, Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyers incorporate a number of design modifications that collectively provide significantly enhanced capability including the AN/SPY-6(V)1 Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR) and the Aegis Baseline 10 Combat System that are designed to keep pace with the threats well into the 21st century.
DDG 131 is named in honor Korean War POW George M. Neal. Neal was an Aviation Machinist’s Mate 3rd Class who was awarded the Navy Cross for his heroic actions while attempting to rescue a fellow service member.
Neal is said to have volunteered as crewman to fly in a helicopter deep into North Korean mountains to attempt the rescue of a Marine aviator who had been shot down and was trapped by the enemy. During the rescue attempt, under heavy enemy fire, Neal’s helicopter was disabled and crashed. He assisted his pilot and the rescued aviator in evading enemy forces for nine days before being captured and held as a prisoner of war.
Neal was eventually released and returned to the U.S. with more than 320 fellow POWs in 1952.
His daughter, Kelley Neal Gray, is the ship’s sponsor. She told Magnolia Tribune Friday ahead of the christening ceremony that the honor did not come completely real until she saw the ship. Gray was visibly moved by the vessel as she walked up to see the ship that will carry her father’s name.
“It’s a legacy that will stay with our family and really the world for the rest of our days for sure,” Gray said. “So it really means more than I can even say.”
Ingalls shipbuilders Kenyetta Brown and Chris Brown, no relation, said getting the ship to this point has taken many hours of hard work and dedication by thousands of their fellow shipbuilders.
“I’m happy to be a part of the Ingalls team and the role that we play as building ships to protect and serve our country,” Kenyetta Brown said, noting that it means more for her as the mother of daughter who serves in the U.S. Navy.
Chris Brown said the ship is equipped with the latest naval and weapons technology, including the most powerful naval radar place on a surface combatant and a proven weapons system. He said the exciting part for him is seeing the progress and taking the lessons learned from previous ships to improve this DDG 131.
Ingalls Shipbuilding officially started fabrication of the destroyer in December 2021. The keel was authenticated two years later in December 2023. The ship was launched in April 2026.
For 87 years, Ingalls has designed, built and maintained amphibious ships and destroyers for the U.S. Navy. Employing more than 11,000 individuals, HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division in Pascagoula is the largest manufacturing employer in Mississippi and a major contributor to the economic growth of Alabama.
