It will be capable of being deployed within five days of receiving orders to sea. The ship normally will be maintained in “reduced operating status” with a small crew of medical technicians maintaining medical equipment. It has the largest galley of any ship in the Navy. It is designed to be self-sustaining, with its own water-distillation system that will provide 150,000 gallons per day of fresh water. The Mercy is larger than any naval hospital on land and one of the largest hospitals of any kind in the world. Douglas McArthur kept his promise to return to those islands will have there been a more welcome visitor to their shores than this great ship.” “This ship, bearing the name of Mercy, and bringing mercy in its wake, cannot help but assist in the struggle for the people of the Philippines to make the wise choice of democracy. And with those, perhaps worst of all, the plague of communist insurrections threatens the Philippine people. “Democracy has taken root in the Philippines in recent months, but age-old diseases have yet to be rooted out. “Early next year, this floating hospital which you have created will make her maiden voyage to the Philippines, one of this nation’s oldest and strongest Pacific allies,” Wilson said. In his address to the crowd of military and civilian dignitaries, NASSCO employees and their families, and members of the public, Wilson referred to that goodwill mission. The rest of the time, the ship’s medical personnel will provide medical, dental and optical care to residents of the Philippines. It will take about three weeks to reach the Philippines and three weeks to return. The Mercy is scheduled to undertake a 4-month-long combination training cruise and goodwill mission to the Philippines beginning in early March. “Its secondary mission is disaster relief for any natural disaster, earthquake, volcanic eruption, tidal wave.” “Its primary mission is combat casualty care,” he said. Seaton noted that the ship will have two missions. “Like a fire truck,” Seaton said, “no one ever wants to have a fire, but if you do.
Seaton said such a capability is necessary “if we are indeed to take care of our national and international requirements.” “We have not had an afloat (medical) capability since the end of the Vietnam conflict.”
“It’s very significant in terms of the commitment of our country and our Navy to the finest care for our servicemen,” Seaton said. Lewis Seaton, the surgeon general of the Navy, said in a brief interview before the ceremonies that the Mercy and the Comfort will give the Navy a valuable resource that has been lacking. fleet since the Sanctuary was retired in 1974 in the post-Vietnam era.Ī second tanker is undergoing a similar conversion at NASSCO’s yard on San Diego Bay and will be delivered to the Navy in the spring. The Mercy is the first hospital ship in the U.S. She will supply the medical care in areas however remote where our soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen are called upon to risk their lives in the name of freedom.” “God forbid that this ship shall ever have to be tested in an hour of military crisis, but if in fact that moment comes, she will meet that test. “Should a crisis situation arise, other vessels will rush arms and equipment as well as manpower to a military theater of operations,” Wilson said. Pete Wilson, R-Calif., was the guest speaker.