The Navy put the destroyer USS Ted Stevens into service Saturday in a cold, rainy ceremony at Whittier. The ship is named for the late U.S. senator who represented Alaska for four decades. The program lasted close to 90 minutes, with remarks from elected officials, Navy leaders and the ship’s commanding officer, Capt. Mary Katey Hays. Organizers had expected about 3,000 people in a town of roughly 250 residents.

The ship’s sponsors are Catherine Ann Stevens, the senator’s widow, and daughters Susan Stevens Covich and Lily Stevens Becker. They ended the ceremony with the Navy’s customary call for the crew to “man our ship and bring her to life.” Sailors rushed aboard, and the radar and weapons systems were powered up.

The ship is about 510 feet long and carries a crew of roughly 340. It is a Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, an upgraded version with a newer radar for air and missile defense. Its motto is “lead with courage.” Norfolk, Virginia, will be its homeport. Hays said holding the commissioning in Alaska was considered a must. She said Whittier was chosen for its closeness to Anchorage and its support facilities.

The ceremony went ahead after a Sept. 14 fire left Whittier’s new Glacier Gateway cruise dock a total loss. That dock was the original venue. Organizers moved the event across the bay to the existing cruise terminal.