August 11, 1983
The President has approved Secretary of the Navy John Lehman's recommendation to name the Navy's two new carriers Abraham Lincoln (CVN - 72) and George Washington (CVN - 73). >
Recalling the enormous contributions the two former Presidents made to our nation's history during difficult periods of war, President Reagan said, ``In naming our two carriers after Abraham Lincoln and George Washington we honor their memory, reflect upon their understanding of sea power, and dedicate ourselves to achieving the requisite naval superiority we need today, by building a 15-carrier, 600-ship navy.''
When completed, these ships will bring the Navy's deployable carrier strength to 15.