JULY 22, 2025 – In a rare moment of living history, ship namesake and Medal of Honor recipient, Col. Harvey “Barney” Barnum Jr. joined members of future USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr.’s (DDG 124) crew, the Navy programmatic team, and industry partners onboard the ship’s first set of sea trials, departing from General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, July 15.
Col. Barnum twice served in Vietnam and received his Medal for heroic actions taken against enemy forces at Ky Phu in Quang Tin Province in December 1965 after his company came under enemy fire and was separated from the rest of their battalion. He also served as the deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for reserve affairs.
DDG 124 was named for Col. Barnum in 2016 and is one of 32 DDG 51 class destroyers that are currently named after Medal of Honor recipients.
“It’s a great honor and I was very humbled when I got the call that I was going to have a ship named after me and that it was a warfighter, a DDG Arleigh Burke Class, it made me very proud. I’m very honored to be here for this trial,” said Barnum.
Col. Barnum continues to be a tireless champion of the Navy and Marine Corps team and has closely followed construction of DDG 124. He has been present for all the ship’s significant milestones, including keel laying and christening.
The ship will continue its series of sea trials in advance of delivery to the Navy.
Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers are the backbone of the U.S. Navy’s surface fleet, providing protection to America around the globe. These highly capable, multi-mission ships conduct various operations, from peacetime presence to national security, providing a wide range of warfighting capabilities in multi-threat air, surface, and subsurface domains. These elements of seapower enable the Navy to defend American prosperity and prevent future conflict abroad.
PEO Ships, one of the Department of Defense’s largest acquisition organizations, is responsible for executing the development and procurement of all destroyers, amphibious ships and craft, and auxiliary ships, including special mission ships, sealift ships and support ships.
From NAVSEA Public Affairs