Reagan Carrier Commissioned

With the order "Bring her to life," former first lady Nancy Reagan commissioned the Navy's newest aircraft carrier Saturday and sent lines of sailors streaming onto the USS Ronald Reagan as a crowd cheered.

It was a ceremony filled with pomp and poignancy.

The carrier, nearly as long at 1,100 feet as the Empire State Building is tall, and standing 20 stories above the waterline, is the first to be named for a living president.

Ronald Reagan, now 92 and ailing with Alzheimer's disease, didn't attend the ceremony at Norfolk Naval Station, but he was praised by many of the speakers.

Today's Navy is in many ways a monument to Mr. Reagan's vision, Vice President Dick Cheney told the hundreds of spectators who applauded under the clear blue sky.

"He came to the presidency with a clear understanding of the tools our Navy would need to protect the American people," Cheney told the crowd.

The onlookers cheered wildly when Mrs. Reagan walked to a podium and waved. "I only have one line, so 'man the ship and bring her to life,'" she said.

As the carrier's whistle blared and the sailors ran aboard, two F-14 Tomcats and two F-18 Hornets flashed overhead in formation.

Mrs. Reagan had also christened the ship, breaking a bottle of sparkling wine against the carrier's bow in 2001.

CBS News correspondent Joie Chen points out that the Reagan joins the fleet as the current president is calling on aircraft carriers to play an increasingly vital role in the nation's defense. Already in Afghanistan and Iraq, the 'floating airfields,' with their ability to quickly move enormous firepower across oceans, have been key players in the war on terrorism.

The Reagan, expected to serve the Navy for more than 50 years, will be based in San Diego, be home to 6,000 sailors and carry more than 80 aircraft. With two nuclear reactors, the carrier can travel faster than 30 knots and operate for 20 years without refueling.

"Quite frankly, there's not a better name for an aircraft carrier than Ronald Reagan," said the ship's commanding officer, Capt. Bill Goodwin.

Petty Officer 1st Class Paul Fulsom became the first sailor assigned to the Reagan when he was transferred from Bahrain three years ago after the birth of his daughter, who needed surgery.

He watched the carrier's construction over the years since reporting to the Reagan on May 26, 2000. That first day, "you could look from the hangar bay up to the sky," the 32-year-old said.

Fulsom, of Yakima, Wash., says he's proud to serve on a carrier named after the nation's 40th president.

"To have my name in the same sentence as the former president is an honor in itself," he said.