Navy Commissions Its Newest Warship

The Navy formally commissioned its newest warship--a destroyer named for five brothers killed in World War II--with bands, flags, speeches and 200-year-old naval rituals. The ceremony drew a crowd of about 4,000 to a Staten Island pier where The Sullivans was officially declared on active duty. Cmdr. Gerard D. Roncolato, skipper of the 8,500-ton guided missile destroyer, ordered his 341-member crew to man the ship, a ritual called “coming alive.” The sailors filed quickly aboard, most manning the rails while some activated the ship’s radar, 5-inch deck gun and whistle.