Inside the USS New York — the ship built with steel from the World Trade Center

Orvelin Valle
Jun 21, 2019 4:05 PM PDT
1 minute read
Navy photo

SUMMARY

Shortly after the Sep. 11 terrorist attacks, New York Gov. George E. Pataki wrote a letter to the Navy requesting to bestow the name “New York” on a warship in honor of the victims. During the naming ceremony aboard the Intrepid Sea-A…

Shortly after the Sep. 11 terrorist attacks, New York Gov. George E. Pataki wrote a letter to the Navy requesting to bestow the name "New York" on a warship in honor of the victims.


During the naming ceremony aboard the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum in Manhattan, Pataki said, "USS New York will ensure that all New Yorkers and the world will never forget the evil attacks of September 11, and the courage and compassion New Yorkers showed in response to terror," according to the Navy.

On March 1, 2008, Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England and his wife Dotty England christened the USS New York (LPD-21) at Northrop Grumman shipyard in Avondale, Louisiana.

The ship's hull was forged with 7.5 tons of steel from the World Trade Center.

"The significance of where the WTC steel is located on the 684-foot-long ship symbolizes the strength and resiliency of the citizens of New York as it sails forward around the world," Navy program manager Cmdr. Quentin King said. "It sends a message of America becoming stronger as a result, coming together as a country and ready to move forward as we make our way through the world."

Photo: Wikimedia

Today, the USS New York (LPD-21) is one of the most state-of-the-art amphibious warships in the Navy's fleet, designed to deliver Marine landing forces stealthily and swiftly anywhere in the world. It is manned by a crew of 360 sailors and three permanently assigned Marines. Her motto is "Strength Forged Through Sacrifice - Never Forget."

"Most of the world thinks about September 11 just once a year, we carry that responsibility forward," said Master Chief Perez in this U.S. Navy video:

YouTube, U.S. Navy

NEWSLETTER SIGNUP

Sign up for We Are The Mighty's newsletter and receive the mighty updates!

By signing up you agree to our We Are The Mighty's Terms of Use and We Are The Mighty's Privacy Policy.

SHARE