USS New York

[CingularDuality]

OK, so I got this email today:

USS New York

It was built with 24 tons of scrap steel from the World Trade Center.

It is the fifth in a new class of warship - designed for missions that include special operations against terrorists. It will carry a crew of 360 sailors and 700 combat-ready Marines to be delivered ashore by helicopters and assault craft.

Steel from the World Trade Center was melted down in a foundry in Amite, LA to cast the ship's bow section. When it was poured into the molds on Sept. 9, 2003, "those big rough steelworkers treated it with total reverence," recalled Navy Capt. Kevin Wensing, who was there. "It was a spiritual moment for everybody there."

Junior Chavers, foundry operations manager, said that when the trade center steel first arrived, he touched it with his hand and the "hair on my neck stood up." "It had a big meaning to it for all of us," he said. "They knocked us down. They can't keep us down. We're going to be back."

The ship's motto? "Never Forget"



Please keep this going so everyone can see what we are made of in this country!

Well, it turns out that the text is mostly correct. The photo, however, is of the first ship in the class, the USS San Antonio. The USS New York probably won't hit the water until 2008.

Regardless, the background story on this ship is very cool. I hope to check it out someday when I go back home to San Diego. They're also naming two other ships in this class the USS Arlington (the city where the Pentagon is...) and the USS Somerset (where Flight 93 went down...). The sailors and Marines assigned to these ships are going to be extra proud, I'm sure. I know I would be.

[TheBigC]

Good find Cing! I didn't even think they were doing something like that..

[Hayttrain]

Very nice!