The USS New York, an amphibious transport ship built with steel salvaged from the World Trade Center, was commissioned here Saturday in a solemn ceremony. The newly-built 684-foot (208-meter) amphibious assault ship, designed to carry up to 800 marines and helicopters, marked its maiden voyage into New York earlier this month.
"This ship carries with it searing memories of September 11," said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a former New York senator, who was the keynote speaker for the ceremony. "Lives cut short, families ripped apart, a nation attacked," she added. "And in that steel, burned but unbroken, lives the spirit we saw on 9/11 and the days that followed, the bravery of the rescuers, the resolve of the survivors, the compassion of this city, the patriotism of this great country."
Calling the USS New York a symbol of freedom similar to the Statue of Liberty, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus explained how this ship will be a reminder of all New York and the nation went through on September 11th.
"Today, we witness the birth of another memorial to liberty," Mabus said. "Eight years ago, this city witnessed the worst atrocities committed against our country. The New York will be a visible testimony to our resilience, to the character of this city, to the strength of this country." The 1.2 billion dollar USS New York, an ultra-modern vessel with a low radar profile, was built in Louisiana. Two other ships - the Arlington and Somerset - are being built in honour of the victims of the 9/11 attacks, incorporating materials from the Pentagon, which was struck by an airliner, and United Flight 93, which crashed into a field after being hijacked.
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