Et cetera : Go Hawkeyes: Vinton native shows state pride on USS Princeton

Matthew DuCharme moving a pallet during an at-sea ship restocking. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kelsey J. Hockenberger/Released) With one of the big games of the season coming up, Iowa Hawkeye fans, wherever they are, are showing their black and gold with pride. For Vinton native Matthew DuCharme, that means from the deck of the USS Princeton (CG59), deployed from San Diego. DuCharme, a BM2 (Boatswain's Mate), and a few other Navy personnell with connections to the Hawkeye State, posed on the deck of the Princeton, holding a U of I flag. A Navy web site describes the Princeton as a "Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser that is deployed in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of maritime security operations designed to reassure allies and partners, and preserve the freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce in the region." DuCharme was also featured in a photo on that page.