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WTC steel sails
Thursday November 05 2009
The USS New York stands as a testament to honor those whose lives were lost on 9/11. The ship, which pulled into the New York Harbor Monday afternoon, contains seven and a half tons of steel that was among the wreckage of the World Trade Center. Many families of those who were killed on 9/11 stood on the dock awaiting the USS New York’s arrival. In addition to the towers’, the ship also contains an etching on its crest of a falcon rising from twin towers, emblazed with the words “Never Forget.”
Lt. Cmdr. Collette Murphy, a Navy spokeswoman described the city’s welcome as “awe-inspiring.”
The USS New York is a 21-gun assault ship that weighs more than 25,000 tons and spans two football fields in length. The ships’ crew carries with them many memories of loved ones they lost, as 13 percent of the crew is from New York State. A special privilege was required to name ship after the Big Apple; usually only submarines are named after states.
The ship will stand as a daily reminder as to why people are serving in the Armed Forces. The USS New York is symbolic of America’s desire to remember the lives lost on 9/11. It will also be used to carry disaster relief when necessary. The ship will remain docked at Pier 88 in New York until Veterans Day before moving on to Norfolk, Va., for training exercises with its crew.
The Etownian >> News