MILLINGTON, Tenn. – Cmdr. Joseph Giuda, a native of Warren, New Hampshire, 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 Warren.
“I learned to interact with people, and that the ability to communicate with them is the key to any task,” Giuda said. “I work with people of all different backgrounds, with all different styles of learning, listening and communicating, and unless you can communicate a task and purpose clearly, it doesn't matter how skilled an individual you may be.”
Giuda graduated from Norwich University in 2010 and joined the Navy 16 years ago. Today, Giuda serves as a surface warfare officer.
“I joined the Navy because I wanted to serve aboard ships - they fascinated and inspired me,” Giuda said. “Additionally, I wanted to serve my country and continue in the footsteps of my parents. My mom was a Navy nurse and my dad was in Marine Corps aviation.”
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.
Giuda has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“There are so many experiences that trying to focus on any one would cut out so many others,” Giuda said. “I get to work with people from all walks of life while at the same time handling the most advanced warships on the face of the planet.”
Giuda serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.
“The United States Navy is the farthest-reaching, most visible and most effectual component when it comes to protecting trade and the ability to transport goods and people,” Giuda added. “The sea lanes are critical to our ability to import, export and function effectively. Without the ability to move goods and people, economies grind to a halt, which means nations come to a stop. Being in the Navy gives me the opportunity to serve the country that has afforded me so many opportunities and protect the people I love.”
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/