![Seaman Cory Stackhouse, a Milton native and Milton High School graduate, serves aboard a ship named after a historic figure from that war: USS Winston S. Churchill. [Special to the Press Gazette]](http://127.0.0.1/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ghows-DA-49877b25-3ce9-75ed-e053-0100007f30e0-4a35890d-scaled.jpeg)
NORFOLK, Va. — This year, as Americans reflect on the 75th Anniversary of World War II, some Navy sailors have a special bond with the occasion.
Seaman Cory Stackhouse, a Milton native and Milton High School graduate, serves aboard a ship named after a historic figure from that war: USS Winston S. Churchill.
Stackhouse works as an electronics technician, and is responsible for fixing radars and communication systems.
“I like that my job allows me to fix equipment that costs so much,” Stackhouse said. "I'm trusted to take care of problems."
In addition, he said, “I like that this command has great camaraderie,” Stackhouse said.
USS Winston S. Churchill, currently based in Norfolk, was commissioned in 2001 and named after Winston S. Churchill, who served as the prime minister of Britain during World II.
Under his leadership, the British military resisted the German bombardment of the British isles and pushed the western front of the European theatre that would help cause the eventual German surrender.
Beginning with the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941, the United States joined the Allied Forces to end the global conflict. The U.S. Navy was ordered to protect and defend the country and its allies during a two-front war in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Fifty-seven sailors earned the Medal of Honor, the military’s highest personal award, for service during World War II. The Navy now has 51 ships named in honor of significant people and events of the conflict.
"When I think about World War II, I think about the resolve that the US and UK had in defeating the Axis Powers,” said Cmdr. Paul M. Allgeier, commanding officer, USS Winston Churchill. “The faces and voices of that resolve were Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston S. Churchill. As those two champions of freedom were tied together in WWII, so they are tied together in our Navy with DDG-80 and DDG-81 bearing their names. It is humbling to command a ship named for one of these champions that preserved freedom for the world."
According to Navy officials, destroyers are tactical multi-mission surface combatants capable of conducting anti-air warfare, anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare, as well as humanitarian assistance. Fast, maneuverable and technically advanced, destroyers provide the required warfighting expertise and operational flexibility to execute any tasking at sea.
Serving in the U.S. Navy has allowed Stackhouse to continue learning about the legacy of those who served during World War II and to pass on the tradition to the future of the Navy.
“I like that serving in the Navy has allowed me to see the world,” Stackhouse said. "I feel like I'm making my family proud."
See https://www.gov.uk/government/people/winston-churchill for more information about Winston Churchill and www.public.navy.mil/surflant/ddg81/Pages/default.aspx for more on USS Winston Churchill.
See https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/wars-conflicts-and-operations/world-war-ii.html for more information about World War II’s 75th Anniversary Commemoration.
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This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Milton sailor reflects on WWII’s 75th anniversary