There is a lot of history connected to the City of Somerville, and with it plenty of heroes to celebrate. One such individual is Medal of Honor recipient retired Navy Capt. Thomas Gunning Kelley, a current resident of the city.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Navy announced that the future guided-missile destroyer DDG-140 will be named after the 83-year-old Kelley, who received the Medal of Honor in 1970 for actions during the Vietnam War.

According to the citation issued in his honor, in 1969 then-Lt. Kelley was in command of eight river assault craft that were extracting a company of U.S. Army infantry troops in Kien Hoa Province when the Army’s troop transport malfunctioned and the boats came under fire from North Vietnamese forces.

During the battle, Kelley suffered severe head injuries from shrapnel from an enemy rocket, but was able to direct the column to safety.

Kelley retired from the service in 1990 and served as the secretary of the Massachusetts Department of Veterans’ Services from 2003 to 2011.

The DDG 51 Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer (DDG 51) is a multi-mission guided missile destroyer able to operate offensively and defensively, independently, or as units of Carrier Strike Groups, Expeditionary Strike Groups, and Surface Action Groups.

As Somerville residents, we have much to be proud of in our rich historical legacy, going back hundreds of years. Mr. Kelley’s contributions to the safety and security of our homeland will never be forgotten.