FReeper Canteen~USS New York~11 Sept 08

Various internet | Canteen Crew

[AZamericonnie]

The Freeper Canteen Presents

The USS New York (LPD-21)

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

The ship is the first to be fully designed from the CAD-screen up to support all three of the Marines' primary mobility capabilities—Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV), Landing Craft, Landing Craft Air Cushioned vehicle and the MV-22 Osprey.

This photo was taken shortly after the Christening Ceremony on March 1st of 2008.

Shortly after September 11, 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 August 28, 2002.

Coincidentally, 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 World Trade Center 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 at Amite Foundry and Machine 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. The shipyard workers reportedly treated it with "reverence usually accorded to religious relics", gently touching it as they walked by. One worker actually delayed his retirement after 40 years work in order to be a part of the project.

Amite, La. (Sept. 9, 2003) -- Workers pour molten steel into a mold to form the bow stem of the Amphibious Transport Dock ship USS New York (LPD 21). In the foreground a previously cast bow stem can be seen as an example of what the New York bow stem will resemble. About 24 tons of steel was salvaged from the World Trade Center, which was destroyed in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Approximately 10-percent of the steel was lost when the foundry superheated the 48,780 pounds of steel to 2,850 degrees Fahrenheit. U.S. Navy photo Photographer's Mate 2nd Class George Trian.

On September 9, 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 County, Pennsylvania and Arlington, Virginia.

The contract to build New York was awarded to Northrop Grumman Ship Systems of New Orleans, Louisiana in 2003. New York was under construction in New Orleans at the time of Hurricane Katrina.

Areal view of the keel laying ceremony at Northrop Grummans Shipbuilding Facility in Avondale LA. on September 10, 2004

The prospective commanding officer is Commander F. Curtis Jones, a native of Binghamton, New York.

New York was christened on March 1, 2008, in a ceremony at Avondale Shipyards in New Orleans, Louisiana. Dotty England, the ship’s sponsor, smashed the traditional champagne bottle on the ship’s bow and christened the ship New York. Several dignitaries were in attendance, including Louisiana Congressman William J. Jefferson, Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England, members of the New York Police Department and New York Fire Department, and family members of 9/11 victims. The champagne bottle did not break the first time it was struck against the hull of the ship, but the second attempt was successful.

Dotty England smiles after breaking a bottle of champagne against the hull of the New York in christening ceremonies at Northrop Grumman shipyard in Avondale, La., Saturday, March 1, 2008.

The ship commissioning of USS New York, is planned to take place in the fall of 2009

~~Videos~~

"God bless this great ship, God bless all our veterans … and those who every day defend our freedoms and liberties, and may God continue to bless America."
Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England

[MeekMom]

Evening FRiend!
Congradulations on graduating! WTG!
85 wpm???
Never heard of that!
You must be part cyborg! LOL

[AZamericonnie]

Good evening Tann. Has fall come your way yet? (still seems like summer here);) *Hugs*

[laurenmarlowe]

We will never forget

[AZamericonnie]

This is always a good place to be but I find it especially so at such times as these as well MMom.

Turn off the TV & take a walk...wish I could take one with you! *Hugs*

[laurenmarlowe]

Beautiful thread Connie, thank you. *HUGS*

[laurenmarlowe]

Howdy there MeekMom, it’s good to see you!

*HUGS*

[AZamericonnie]

Everytime I’ve tried to sneak in a post the last couple of afternoons I’ve been met with errors & had to give up.

I’ll be glad when it’s over! lol *Hugs*

[AZamericonnie]

Good evening busy lady....so good to see you & thank you for our anthem.

Have you been able to come up for air?:) *Hugs*

[al baby]

no woke up in the middle of it and they pulled a tooth out so hard i have a hole from my mouth to my sinus cavity and healing very slowly but thanks for asking

[AZamericonnie]

He still roaney

LOLOL

Congrat on your successes Diva! Wish I had your typing skills!

[MeekMom]

[txradioguy]

Thank you AZ.

I will post it every year until there is no FR or the Internet disappears.

[laurenmarlowe]

Thank ya Connie, it’s so great to see y’all too, been missing you! *HUGS*

About 3 more weeks, then some breathing room! :o)

[TASMANIANRED]

Evening Connie, Hugs.

I’m taking a break from strychnine...

Don’t I know how to have fun when I’m off?

[MeekMom]

For Chris

[txradioguy]

was staying at my parents place and my mom banged on my door and told me to turn on the TV...that a plane had just hit the WTC.

My first thought was that someone in the tower at LaGuardia or JFK was gonna get fired.

Flipped on the TV listening to Jon Scott on FNC...some talking head was on and the towers were in a box in the left corner of the screen.

All of the sudden I saw the second tower get hit.

Fox guys were asking if that was a tape loop of the first one or did another plane hit?

Confirmed...another plane has struck the WTC.

“That’s not an accident” I say to myself suddenly very panicked.

Throw my clothes on come down the stairs and stop at the tv in my mom’s office to hear the president give his first briefing on the situation from the school in Florida.

Race out to my car and floor it...gotta get to the station.

All five stations in our cluster have switched to AP News piped in through our AM studio.

Ten minutes out from the station AP news is talking w/ Ron Fournier from Crystal City...looks like a plane has struck the Pentagon.

Screeching into the parking lot in my station sprint up the stairs with my alert roster in hand.

Hit the front door as my GM...a former Force Recon Marine comes out of his office.

“You getting called up”?

“Don’t know yet Dale...let me call and see what the situation is.”

“If you’ve got to go to Austin,” he tells me, “get out of here and take all the time you need”.

Left the station a couple hours later got a haircut while the replay of the towers coming down was playing...all eyes on THIS GUY

Drove back to Midland about mid day...drove past my daughters school...Sheriff’s Deputy parked squarely in front of the building in the parking lot.

Went to my g/f’s house (now my wife) and we just held each other.

Drove home that night looked to my right at the skyline of downtown...nothing...pitch black...first time in my life.

Didn’t sleep for the next 24 hours.

[MeekMom]

Evenin' Tassy! ((Hugs))

[AZamericonnie]

Oh dear....I’m so sorry!

I certainly hope the healing speeds up!

[SevenofNine]

MM I once work as secretary long long time ago LOL!

So I also took typin in my sophomore year

Yeah I am shock

I suppose met my goal at 80 i surpass it

[Kathy in Alaska]

Too true...every post requires 2 tries, but I always go to my pings and see if maybe it DID post....sometimes yes, sometimes no. *HUGS*