From the March 7th Aurora (IL) Beacon-News.
Bob Moga wants there to be a USS Aurora in the water. Last month, at his and his group's urging, the Aurora City Council passed a resolution requesting that a ship with the city's name be commissioned. After all, Aurora is now Illinois' second biggest city. (I would have guessed Peoria or Rockford.)
They want one of the ten ships the US Navy will be commissioning in the next five years to bear the name.
Reasons are that many Aurora men enlisted in the Navy during World War II.
Phillips Park in the city has a WW II monument with the names of over 200 Aurorans who died in the war.
They have had an active Navy league since the end of WW II.
East Aurora High has the largest Naval Jr. ROTC program in the nation.
The Secretary of the Navy makes the final decision as to ship names and that is culled from hundreds of names put forward. An effort for naming requires a lot of money, which Aurora does not have so there is just a slim chance it will come to pass.
But, they're still trying.
Two ships have had the name USS Aurora, both serving during World War I. The USS Aurora (SP-345) was a harbor tug and minesweeper from 1917-1919. The USS Aurora II (SP-460) was a steam yacht converted into a naval patrol vessel during the same years.
Pulling for Aurora. --DaCoot
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