Aneela Nike Post: What is special about USS New York?

Friday 7 April 2017

What is special about USS New York?

Made from the World Trade Center

A US Navy assault ship built with steel from the fallen World Trade Center and named in honour of the city and state that were home to the twin towers. A ship with a lot of sentiments and memories......

USS New York (LPD-21) is a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock and the fifth ship of same name. A symbolic amount of steel salvaged from the World Trade Centre after it was destroyed in the September 11 terrorist attacks was used in the construction of this ship. USS New York is named in honour of New York city where the attacks on the World Trade Center occurred.

It was built with 24 tons of scrap steel from the World Trade Center. The $ 1 billion ship was built in Louisiana with about 7.5 tons of World Trade Center steel melted down and used in the bow. It is the fifth in a new class warship – designed for mission, that include special operations against terrorists. It carries 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 moulds on September 9, 2003, ‘those big rough steelworkers treated it total reverence,’ recalled Navy Captain Kevin Wensing, who was there. ‘It was a spiritual moment for everybody there.’

Junior Chavers, foundry operations manager, said that when the World 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 are going to be back.’

The ship’s motto? ‘Never Forget.’

Also read: Americans in Aghanistan

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