USS New York
The photo above is another view of this scene, both of which feature the arrival of the USS New York – built with steel from the World Trade Center – into its eponymous city.
And here’s a better pic of the behemoth – now that’s a ship. 6.8 tons of WTC steel was used in its construction, representing less than one one-thousandth (!) of the total weight of the ship.
I love simple imagination of this kind. To my mind, it commemorates the dead in perhaps the most fitting way possible (other than making sure that another 9/11 doesn’t happen), and almost certainly more appropriately than any new building on Ground Zero would do.
It’s the sixth US Navy ship to be named after the state of New York, and it’s predecessors fascinatingly include the USS New York of 1800, which was burned by those dastardly Brits in 1814, and the USS New York (BB-34), which was sunk after “surviving” two atomic bomb tests, however that’s done, in 1946.
There should be a presidential lapel flag pin made from WTC steel, and it should be worn be each successive president until the world is free of the scourge of Islamic fundamentalism.
But something tells me that Barry’s not the man to start this particular tradition.
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November 16th, 2009 at 16:40
Well said Track, but I have one wee correction, if I may. The new USS New York is not a battleship. We haven’t had any of those in service since we decommissioned the USS Missouri in the early 90’s.
November 16th, 2009 at 16:43
Thanks, Matt, it’s good to be accurate. What is it, then? Wikipedia has it listed as an “amphibious transport dock”, but is there not a more colloquial name than that?
November 16th, 2009 at 19:19
I like the presidential lapel pin idea, I hadn’t thought of that. I don’t know a better description of the New York. It is some type of Marine Amphibious Landing Ship. Things use to be much simplier—battleship, Cruiser, Destroyer, etc. Like everything else politicians will “complicate the obvious while trivializing the momentous”.
Ron Russell´s last blog ..Promoting Jihad From Prisons
November 16th, 2009 at 20:36
We like our toys BIG here in the US.
November 16th, 2009 at 21:57
The pin idea is great. Um…er…not sure about the killing machine, though. Isn’t 700,000 enough?
Sonic Ninja Kitty´s last blog ..Chalk One Up for The Kitty
November 16th, 2009 at 21:59
Defensive machine, Kitty! Kinda…
Plus it’s totally awesome – look at it!
November 16th, 2009 at 22:11
The more colloquial term would be ‘Troop Transport.’ She can haul a battalion of Marines, tanks, equipment, etc to any war zone in the world.
November 16th, 2009 at 23:07
“Kinda”–ha ha!
Sonic Ninja Kitty´s last blog ..Chalk One Up for The Kitty
November 17th, 2009 at 14:35
I love the “in-your-face”-ness of the USS New York. Shows the entire world that you can’t keep America on the sidelines, that we won’t ever submit.
I love the stories about her construction. One man at the LA shipyard deferred his retirement so he could work on her. And when the steel was being used, the shipyard would go silent, each man handling the materials with great reverence and respect.
I also read somewhere that the shipyard was damaged during Katrina – and the workers all showed up for work as soon as they could so that there would be no delays in construction.
Since we are going to have to endure the monkey trial of KSM and his cohorts in American courts in NYC, I suggest we park the USS New York within visual distance of the tables where the terrorists will sit. Have random flybys of F-18s and Cobra Helos.
Kris, in New England´s last blog ..Saturday Symphony
November 17th, 2009 at 23:04
Very poignant, Kris, thank you for sharing that.