Depending on when you read this, the USS New York is currently headed for New York City. The ship will be commissioned on November 7 in the Big Apple.
Here are some facts on this vessel:
•Bow stem includes seven and a half tons of steel recovered from the World Trade Center's twin towers
•Construction with World Trade Center steel was encouraged by Governor George Pataki of New York and Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City
•Name given by then Secretary of the Navy Gordon England
•Keel was laid on August 2004
•1,200 Louisiana workers stayed to keep building the ship after Hurricane Katrina hit the shipyard in August 2005
•Ship was christened at Northrop Grumman's Avondale shipyard on March 1, 2008
•Motto: "Strength forged through sacrifice. Never forget."
General Tom's Blog encourages you to visit the ship's website: http://ussny.org.
The New York was designed specifically to combat terrorism.
