USS New York, Built with 9/11 Steel, Arrives at Mayport, Fl

FIRST COAST NEWS
Created: 3/12/2010
Ann Butler

USS New York arrived this morning at Naval Station Mayport on its way to training exercises before its first formal deployment.

For the crew there is a special sense of pride on this ship.

That's especially true of the ships captain, commander Curt Jones, a New York native.

"We carry the memories of those lost on 9/11 with us and it's a visceral feeling for all of us, we are very aware of that every day," said Jones.

Seven and a half tons of steel from the World Trade Center leads the way for the massive ship as it cuts through the water, built right into the bow.
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"That's the reason I joined this ship, to be a part of something and it means a little bit more," said Ensign Phillip Smith.

And the steel in the ship is not the only reminder of the World Trade Center, there are reminders all around the ship.

There are plaques paying tribute to individual New York Fire stations, there is a piece of tower steel hung in a place of honor that was a present from New York firefighters and the towers are a part of the ships crest.

The ship can transport as many as 700 marines and soldiers in relative luxury with all new high tech facilities.

But the most important piece of the ship is always on the mind of the 350 crew members.

"I have a number of crew members that joined because of 9/11, others lost family members on 9/11 so the tie is very personal and it's very real to them," said Commander Jones.

The New York is the sixth ship in the Navy to be named after the state of New York and is one of the newest ships in the Navy.

It expects to receive it's first deployment in 2012.