MILLINGTON, Tenn. – Chief Petty Officer Verlin Boda, a native of Cuba, Missouri, assigned to the U.S. Navy amphibious transport dock warship USS Richard McCool Jr., traveled to the late Capt. Richard McCool Jr.’s hometown of Tishomingo and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, from July 2-7, to honor the legacy of the ship’s namesake.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Cuba.
“My mother raised me to work for the job you want to have, not the one you currently have,” Boda said. “This forward-looking approach made me always work one level above my current position and allowed me to advance into leadership positions very early in my career. It also eventually led to my selection as a chief petty officer.”
Boda graduated from Owensville High School in 2009 and joined the Navy 17 years ago. Today, Boda serves as an electronics technician.
“The Navy gave me the ability to meet all my goals in one organization,” Boda said. “I wanted to travel, obtain an education, fulfill my civic duty and start a career.”
This was the Richard McCool Jr. crew’s first visit to the area since its commissioning in 2024.
The visit provided an opportunity for the local community to engage with their U.S. Navy and witness firsthand the professionalism and commitment of its sailors, while also giving the crew a chance to learn more about the late Capt. McCool’s small-town American origins and to build upon this meaningful namesake connection.
During the visit, sailors participated in the LibertyFest Big Songs & Stripes Show and celebrated America’s 250th Fourth of July at the LibertyFest parade. The sailors also visited Capt. McCool’s hometown of Tishomingo to see an exhibit in his name at the Chickasaw Bank Museum, participated in a wreath-laying ceremony and attended an open community forum hosted by the American Legion.
The ship was named for the late Capt. Richard McCool Jr., a Tishomingo native who received the Medal of Honor in 1945 for the heroism he displayed after his ship was attacked by kamikaze aircraft in the Battle of Okinawa in World War II. Despite suffering from shrapnel wounds and painful burns, he led efforts to battle a blazing fire on his ship and rescue injured sailors.
San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock warship with the mission to land, train, and deploy a Marine Landing Force during sustained joint amphibious combat operations at sea, ashore, and in the air. The warship is crewed by sailors and Marines who support joint maritime operations using the Navy’s newest state-of-the-art combat systems, enabling the rapid deployment of Marines ashore by air or sea. Additionally, the vessel is fully equipped to provide critical support for humanitarian disaster relief and evacuation missions.
For more information about USS Richard McCool Jr., visit the ship’s official U.S. Navy page at https://www.surflant.usff.navy.mil/LPD29/ or the ship’s official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/LPD29/
With 90% of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the internet relying on the security of undersea fiber-optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to recruiting and retaining talented people from across the rich fabric of America.
Boda has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“My proudest achievement is returning to the area I was raised and being able to share the wonderful opportunities the Navy has given to me with future sailors,” Boda said. “I had the distinct pleasure of recruiting for three years out of Navy Recruiting District St. Louis, stationed in Rolla, Missouri. During that time, I facilitated the enlistment of 53 young men and women. Any one of them could one day be the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, a Medal of Honor Recipient or make a lasting impact on the Navy. That is the legacy I am most proud of.”
Boda serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.
“Serving in the Navy means fulfilling my civic duty to the country that has given me and my family so much,” Boda said. “It has elevated my life, allowed me to experience new cultures and obtain an education no one in my family has had the opportunity to before.”
This year, the Navy is commemorating its contribution to the nation’s defense as the United States celebrates 250 years of independence. According to Navy officials, for more than 250 years, the Navy has sailed the globe defending freedom and protecting prosperity. More information is available here: https://www.navy.mil/navy-250/