The USS New York Christened Today!

[Estevan]

Now this is great! Just Christened a few hours ago!

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,334332,00.html

 

[CharlesB]

very cool looking ship. While I certainly appreciate the sentiment, I do find my nations seemingly unending fixation on the tragedy of Sept.11 to unhealthy at the least and very disturbing at its worst.

 

[Estevan]

Deleted my me.

 

[CharlesB]

BTW we still celebrate Dec. 7th. It's about not forgetting. The flags have long been brought down. I remember the week after 9/11, you couldn't find an American Flag anywhere! eBay crooks were charging hundreds of dollars for them. Folks were flying them on their cars. What happened? I think it's important to remember.

theres a difference between remembering and basing an entire worldview on a feeling of helpless panic and paranoia thereafter that leads to obsession.

 

[Estevan]

theres a difference between remembering and basing an entire worldview on a feeling of helpless panic and paranoia thereafter that leads to obsession.

I'll agree with you on that point Charles. :cheers1: But being a prior navy guy, I just think it's real cool ship and a great idea.

 

[dhermann1]

CharlesB: I was 4 blocks from the WTC when it came down. My wife's cousin, a great guy, was lost that day. Without launching into a wordy dissertation, I just want to say that I agree with what you say.

 

[CharlesB]

CharlesB: I was 4 blocks from the WTC when it came down. My wife's cousin, a great guy, was lost that day. Without launching into a wordy dissertation, I just want to say that I agree with what you say.

Thank you. Several dozen people from about a 10 mile circumference around my house were lost since Im in that corridor...the tragedy wasnt lost on me. I just htought I'd keep my opinion on the affair as apolitical as possible

 

[carebear]

Fun facts about the actual ship from Wiki, since Fox couldn't be bothered to include any, including the actual designation, amongst the sentimentality.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_New_York_(LPD-21)

United States Ship New York (LPD-21), a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock, is the fifth ship of the United States Navy to be named for the state of New York. The ship is designed to deliver a fully-equipped battalion of 700 Marines.

Shortly after 11 September 2001, Governor of New York George E. Pataki wrote a letter to Secretary of the Navy Gordon England requesting that the Navy bestow the name USS New York on a surface warship involved in the War on Terror in honor of September 11's victims. In his letter, the Governor said he understood state names are currently reserved for submarines, but asked for special consideration so the name could be given to a surface ship. The request was approved 28 August 2002.

Oddly enough, a previous holder of the name, USS New York (BB-34), had its keel laid on September 11, 1911, exactly 90 years to the day before the WTC was attacked.

Twenty-four tons of the steel used in its construction came from the small amount of rubble from the World Trade Center actually preserved for posterity. Steel from the World Trade Center was melted down in a foundry in Amite, Louisiana to cast the ship's bow section. It was poured into the molds on September 9, 2003. With seven tons melted down and cast to form the ship's "stem bar" — part of the ship's bow.[1] The shipyard workers reportedly treated it with "reverence usually accorded to religious relics", gently touching it as they walked by.[2]

On 9 September 2004, the Secretary of the Navy announced that two of her sister ships will be named Arlington and Somerset, in commemoration of the places two of the other planes used in the attack came down: Somerset, Pennsylvania and Arlington, Virginia.

 

[Estevan]

Thanks for adding that Carebear.

 

[Pilotguy299]

is it because we lack a purpose?

theres a difference between remembering and basing an entire worldview on a feeling of helpless panic and paranoia thereafter that leads to obsession.

Charles I agree with you whole heartedly. We should never forget things like Dec 7 and Sept 11, but the "obsession" is something I don't understand.

Is it possibly because as a country we no longer have any other common thread amongst the people that binds us together?

BTW, Beautiful Ship! Wish I was able to see it in person...

 

[Story]

Fun facts about the actual ship from Wiki, since Fox couldn't be bothered to include any, including the actual designation, amongst the sentimentality.

Here's a website for the ship, which is down at the moment due to heavy traffic.

http://www.ussnewyork.com/wordpress/?p=9

 

[Martinis at 8]

This thread has already slipped into the "politics" category

 

[CharlesB]

i just deleted my previous comment to avoid edging up on politics

 

[Fletch]

USS New York BB-34

Oddly enough, a previous holder of the name, USS New York (BB-34), had its keel laid on September 11, 1911, exactly 90 years to the day before the WTC was attacked.

Color postcard of the battleship New York circa 1915. She was in commission from 1914-'46.

 

[Martinis at 8]

I don't think the ship in the postcard fits under the Queensborough

 

[Estevan]

i just deleted my previous comment to avoid edging up on politics

As have I.....Pheww, this could've gotten ugly.