The legacy of the late Solomon Atkinson of Metlakatla was honored May 2 during the christening ceremony for the U.S. Navy ship that bears his name.

The USNS Solomon Atkinson was christened at the Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, Alabama, by his widow, JoAann Atkinson, and their daughters Michele Gunyah and Maria Hayward.

They were accompanied by two young family members in the tradition of breaking ceremonial bottles of sparkling wine on the ship.

The ship is a 263-foot, 5,100-ton Navajo-class rescue and salvage vessel designed with multi-mission oceangoing capabilities to support Navy fleet operations. Its keel was laid in April 2025, and the vessel was launched in February.

Born and raised in Metlakatla, Solomon Atkinson enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1952. According to Navy information, he volunteered for underwater demolition teams.

In 1962, he became an original member of the first U.S. Navy Sea, Air and Land team, SEAL Team 1. He was deployed as a SEAL during the Korean War and did three combat tours in Vietnam before becoming a trainer to SEAL candidates. He retired in 1973.

In addition to training SEAL candidates, he also trained 48 U.S. Gemini and Apollo astronauts — including Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin who became the first and second men to walk on the moon.

Atkinson was active in Metlakatla life after his return, with service that included terms as mayor, council member and school board member for the Metlakatla Indian Community.

“A Tsimshian, Alaska Native from the Metlakatla community on Annette Island, (Atkinson’s) life of service, resilience and technical expertise perfectly reflects the mission of the vessel designed to support fleet operations through towing, salvage and rescue,” Austal USA Interim President Gene Miller said at the christening event.

“I am Michelle Gunyah, the eldest daughter of Solomon Atkinson, and … on behalf of our family, we are truly honored to be here for the christening of my father's ship,” she said.

“If he were here today, he’d tell you, ‘Go find somebody else to give this to,’ because he just never thought he was deserving,” she said. “But to us and to so many others, he was more than deserving.

Following the christening, the ship will undergo two rounds of sea trials. Its homeport destination has not been announced.