Petty Officer 1st Class Larry Hardimon, a 2003 Royal Palm Beach High School graduate, is serving aboard the USS Nitze (DDG 94), one of the world’s most versatile multi-mission combat ships.
Hardimon is a ship’s serviceman aboard the Norfolk-based ship, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, which is longer than 1.5 football fields long at nearly 510 feet long. The ship is 66 feet wide and weighs more than 9,200 tons. Twin gas turbine engines can push the ship through the water at more than 30 mph.
The USS Nitze is the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Paul Nitze, who served as Secretary of the Navy under President Lyndon B. Johnson and as chief arms control adviser in the administration of President Ronald Reagan.
As a 27-year-old with numerous responsibilities, Hardimon said he is learning about himself as a leader, sailor and a person. He also said he is proud of the work he is doing as part of the Nitze’s 315-member crew. Serving as lead petty officer for 52 Sailors, he is proud of his team’s performance. “We get the job done right and on time, while remaining flexible,” he said.
Sailors’ jobs are highly varied aboard the ship. Approximately 31 officers and 284 enlisted men and women make up the ship’s company, which keeps all parts of the destroyer running smoothly — this includes everything from washing dishes and preparing meals to handling weaponry and maintaining the engines.
“I am proud and amazed by the knowledge they display and the work my sailors do every day,” said Cmdr. Michelle Nakamura, the ship’s commanding officer. “Many very young people, some with only months of experience in the Navy, stood ready to sail and fight our ship in any situation. They performed exceptionally each and every day of our seven-plus month deployment and they continue to excel here at home.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most versatile combat ships, Hardimon and other USS Nitze sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes. “I have a lot of pride, being an ambassador of the Navy by wearing the uniform,” Hardimon said. “It’s an honor and privilege to be able to serve.”
ABOVE: Petty Officer 1st Class Larry Hardimon at work aboard the USS Nitze destroyer.
