First Lady christens ship, towels off

PASCAGOULA, Miss. (AP) - It took First Lady Michelle Obama two swings to smash open the sparkling wine she used to christen a ship in honor of the Coast Guard's first female commissioned officer.  When the bottle finally broke, sparkling wine covered the First Lady who smiled through the unexpected dousing before accepting a towel and drying off.

The ceremony Friday just south of the Mississippi facility where the cutter was built drew about 3,000. Obama praised Capt. Dorothy C. Stratton as a pioneer, saying: "I stand in awe of her life."

Stratton joined up during World War II and eventually oversaw more than 10,000 enlisted women and 1,000 commissioned officers. She earned the Legion of Merit before leaving the Coast Guard in 1946 and died in 2006. The ship will be delivered next summer and patrol waters off northern California on two-month missions. It will be able to deploy two helicopters and smaller boats.First Lady Michelle Obama was to be on the Mississippi Gulf Coast Friday to christen the Coast Guard's newest National Security Cutter.

The ship has two hangars and a large flight deck. Its 418-feet long and has a 4,300 ton full load displacement.

Mrs. Obama also plans to talk with Coast Guard crew who have been responding to the BP oil spill while she's in Mississippi.