“Never Retreat, Never Surrender,” USS New York

About 7.5 tons of steel taken from the ruins of New York’s World Trade Center have been turned into molten liquid and poured into the mold of the bow stem of the USS New York, LPD-21, an amphibious Landing Platform Dock of the new and innovative San Antonio class. This bow stem will be the first section of the ship to cut through the water when she is underway, “the first part of the ship slicing through the (seas)” to combat terrorism around the world. Her motto has already been selected, and is apt: “Never retreat, never surrender.” International terrorists want to play hardball, and it’s hardball we’ll play. Taped speeches threatening Americans on Al-Jazeera TV and made in safe havens far away are one thing. Playing hardball against the United States of America is quite another. The USS New York and the 11 others in its class are designed to reach out and touch terrorists anywhere, at anytime, and deliver a jolt that will be felt 'round the world.

Addendum: November 17, 2009

USS New York transits along the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico to conduct builders' trials. Photo credit: MC1 Corey Lewis, USN. Editor's note: Do not know the date of this transit, but it was before she was commissioned to be sure. A marvelous photo of a meaningful shipnonetheless.

Addendum: November 10, 2009

Artist's concept done in March 2006 of the USS New York entering New York Harbor. She did and she was commissioned there on November 7, 2009. A great drawing.

The USS New York was commissioned on November 7, 2009 in New York City. Thousands of people attended at Pier 88 in Manhattan. Sgt, Joshua Wiseman, USMC, said, “It was an amazing experience. To see how thoroughly this ship has touched the people of New York has truly strengthened my understanding of the resiliency of all Americans.” The USS New York was "brought to life." Some photos.

U.S. Navy Command Master Chief Robert W. Stocklin escorts Dotty England, wife of former Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England and the sponsor of the USS New York, from the stage during the ship's commissioning ceremony. Photo credit: Cpl. Jesse J. Johnson, USMC

Members of the official party bow their heads during the invocation at the commissioning ceremony of the USS New York in New York. Photo credit: Cpl. Jesse J. Johnson, USMC

U.S. Marines and sailors man the rails during the commissioning ceremony. Photo credit: Cpl. Jesse J. Johnson, USMC

Gunnery Sergeant Steven L. Rowe, an Electronic Key Management System Manager with Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force 26, mans the rails aboard USS New York. Photo credit: LCpl. Tommy Bellegrade, USMC

SSgt.. Juan Padilla, USMC, radio chief with the Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force 26, stands tall in front of the USS New York. Photo credit: Sgt. Danielle M. Bacon, USMC.

Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force 26 Marines and USS New York sailors stand in front of the USS New York. Photo credit: Sgt. Danielle M. Bacon, USMC.

Admiral Gary Roughead, USN, Chief of Naval Operations, participates in the commissioning ceremony. Photo credit: PO1 Tiffini Jones Vanderwyst, USN

Addendum: October 14, 2009

Richard Schimberg watches the USS New York sail through heavy fog on the Mississippi River in New Orleans, Tuesday, October 13, 2009. Photo credit: Patrick Semansky, AP

Locals get a glimpse of the New York as she sails out. Photo credit: Bill Haber, AP

The USS New York maneuvers under the New Orleans Crescent City Connection bridge on the Mississippi Rover on her way to New York. Photo credit: MCS2 John P. Curtis, USN

The USN Assault Ship USS New York (LPD 21) departed the New Orleans area Northrop Grumman shipyard on its voyage to New York for her commissioning planned for November 7, 2009. She was escorted by a Coast Guard speedboat and helicopter as a security precaution. One local who came out to see her leave said, "It's awesome for anything so tragic to be so uplifting here." Another said, "Hopefully, it's going overseas to do damage to them like it did to us." The event was covered by Alan Sayre, AP, "Ship built with WTC steel sails for namesake city."

Addendum July 15, 2009

There she is, at sea. The USS New York is scheduled to be commissioned on November 7, 2009.

Sailors assigned to Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) New York (LPD 21) have a moment of silence for fallen New York fire fighters as they touch a steel beam recovered from the World Trade Center, May 21, 2009.

Addendum March 6, 2008

The USS New York (LPD-21) was christened in Avondale, Louisiana on March 1, 2008. Approximately 7.5 tons of steel recovered from the World Trade Center are cast in the bow stem of the ship. Mrs. Dotty H. England, wife of Deputy Secretary of Defense, Gordon England, is the ship's sponsor and did the honors. The New York is the fifth amphibious transport dock of the San Antonio class. Read our article of October 2003 about this ship, “Never Retreat, Never Surrender,” USS New York. Photo credit Mrs. England: Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Tiffini M. Jones, USN. (030608)

Addendum January 13, 2008

The future USS New York LPD-21, the fifth ship of the San Antonio-class of amphibious ships was launched (get wet) on December 19, 2007 at Northrop Grumman Ship Systems facility in Avondale, LA. The Christening will be held on March 1, 2008. Following that the ship will continue through sea trials and final fitting out until the Commissioning in New York City, Fall 2009.

October 19, 2003

From the rubble of the World Trade Center (WTC) in New York will emerge a wholly new naval fighting warship, the USS New York, LPD-21. She will be ready for active service by 2007. So what, you ask? Well, there are a lot of answers.

First, the USS New York will be manufactured using 24 tons of steel taken from the ruins of the WTC, essentially from a 20 foot long steel beam that plummeted to the ground from the south tower of the WTC when the United States was attacked by foreign terrorists on September 11, 2001. The south tower was the second to collapse following the terrorist invasion of American airspace and hijacking of American aircraft that occurred on that day.

Steel resurrected from Ground Zero at the World Trade Center Site was trucked south to Amite Foundry and Machine Inc., in Amite, La., where it was melted and cast in the mold of a bow-stem, the foremost section of the hull on the water line that slices through the water. Photo credit: Cpl. Ryan J. Skaggs, USMC

Workers from the Amite foundry in Louisiana have already recycled the steel and poured its molten liquid into a mold of the bow stem of LPD-21, an amphibious Landing Platform Dock. The foundry superheated the 48,780 pounds of steel to 2,850 degrees on September 10, 2003 and then poured it into the mold. The scrap steel was taken from the Fresh Kills landfill on Staten Island and transported to the Northrop Grumman shipyard facilities in Pascagoula, Mississippi. There, the steel was tested for suitability and then moved to Amite. The steel passed muster, as was expected, because the steel used to build the WTC was of very high quality, and was some of the thickest and heaviest ever used in building construction.

Dr. Philip A. Dur, president, Northrop Grumman, put it this way:

“This piece of steel has been washed by the tears of Americans and hardened by the millions of prayers around the world. It is our hope that we can bring strength and victory to this steel and to the whole of LPD-21 USS New York .”

This is a bow-stem for one of the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ships.  Steel resurrected from Ground Zero at the World Trade Center Site was trucked south to Amite Foundry and Machine Inc., in Amite, La., where it was melted and cast in the mold of a bow-stem, the foremost section of the hull on the water line that slices through the water. Photo credit: Cpl. Ryan J. Skaggs, USMClis

Second, this bow stem of the USS New York, made from steel from the WTC, will become that part of the ship to first cut through the water when the ship is underway, a cutting edge for freedom. Ed Winter, a spokesman for Northrop Grumman’s shipbuilding division, put it this way:

“Symbolically, the World Trade Center steel will be the first part of the ship slicing through the water. That's in honor of the victims and the heroes of the 9-11 tragedy.”

Third, Governor Pataki of New York got special permission from the Secretary of the Navy to have this ship named the USS New York.

Normally, only submarines are named after states, and the new LPDs are being named after cities. Governor Pataki wanted this ship to represent all of New York, to recognize all those New Yorkers who demonstrated such courage and compassion in response to the terrorist attack against the US. He also wanted her to be a fighting ship that will participate in the fight against terrorism. LPD-17 will be the longest and widest ship to ever bear the name New York.

The amphibious transport dock ship Pre-Commissioning Unit San Antonio (LPD 17) floats along the Mississippi River at Northrop Grumman Ship Systems Avondale Operations in New Orleans. This cutting edge warship was christened on July 19, 2003. Photo credit: Northrop Grumman Corporation.

Fourth, the USS New York will be a San Antonio-class LPD, the fifth in this class. The USS San Antonio, LPD-17, was the first of 12 new amphibious landing dock platform ships tasked to transform America’s expeditionary warfare force. This class of ships is capable of carrying troops, cargo and tanks, and operating cargo-carrying helicopter, vertical takeoff-landing aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles. Its primary mission is to embark, transport and land elements of a ground combat force in an array of expeditionary and Special Operations Capable missions. The San Antonio class will functionally replace four current amphibious ship classes. An increased 25,000 square feet of vehicle storage space and a substantial cargo/ammunition carrying capacity, make it a key element of future Amphibious Ready Groups (ARGs) and their Marine Expeditionary Strike Groups, ready for special operations, or joint task forces. Each of these 12 San Antonio-class LPDs will carry a Navy crew of up to 408 and up to 800 combat ready Marines.

Its war fighting capabilities include a state-of-the-art command and control suite, substantially increased vehicle lift capacity, a large flight deck, and advanced ship survivability features that enhance its ability to operate in the unforgiving littoral environment. The deployment of these ships will provide each naval (Navy and Marine) expeditionary force with greatly enhanced operational flexibility. It can operate as part of an Amphibious Task Force, the "workhorse" of a three-ship ARG, organized to accomplish a broad range of military objectives; or as an element of a "Split-ARG" that has the LPD detached and operating as a single ship, supporting lower-risk operations. This new class of LPD will also feature prominently in future Expeditionary Strike groups, expanding their area of influence by providing an improved capability to cover multiple areas of responsibility, while responding to several crises simultaneously.

This brand of fighting ship will accommodate the Marine Corps' "mobility triad,” which consists of Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAAV), Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC), and the Marine Corps' new tilt-rotor MV-22 Osprey aircraft, for high-speed, long-range tactical-lift operations. She will be able to carry either two Ospreys or four CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters. This all means that the ships can operate well over the horizon, as far as 600 miles from an adversary's coastline, and can reach out and attack enemy forces hundreds of miles inland, at revolutionary speeds.

All together, this assembly provides the US with multi-mission crisis response tools, a mix of highly mobile air and ground firepower with self-sustainable forces that can quickly project compelling power, withdraw rapidly, and then reconstitute to re-deploy for follow-on missions.

Finally, the ship’s motto has already been selected: “Never retreat, never surrender!” Now Al Jazeera TV should broadcast that to its audience. It’s hardball you wanted, and it’s hardball you get.

Here's a current sample of the kind of naval warfare we are talking about:

A US Marine on a speed boat intercepts a tanker ship at Khor Zubair, southern Iraq, while conducting oil smuggling control operations with British forces on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2003. The US Marines Bravo Company, with the 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Division out of Camp Pendelton, Cal. patrol the Shat Al Arab river with coalition forces to control illegal oil shipments. Photo credit: Gustavo Ferrari, AP

U.S. Marines board a ship during an anti-smuggling operation outside the port of Umm Qasr, in southern Iraq, Sunday Oct. 19, 2003. Photo credit: Greg Baker, AP

U.S. Marines board a ship during an anti-smuggling operation outside the port of Umm Qasr. Photo credit: Greg Baker, AP

U.S. Marines keep watch as others board a ship during an anti-smuggling operation outside the port of Umm Qasr, in southern Iraq, Sunday Oct. 19, 2003. Photo credit: Greg Baker, AP

Two U.S. Marine CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters fly cover patrol over the port of Umm Qasr, in southern Iraq Sunday Oct. 19, 2003. Photo credit: Greg Baker, AP

A machine gun is reflected in the visor of a U.S. Marine door gunner aboard a CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter, prepared to come to the aid of operations below, Sunday Oct. 19, 2003. Photo credit: Greg Baker, AP

Another view of this door gunner, ready to aid operations below. Photo credit: Greg Baker, AP

We honor service and sacrifice. Please click the "Donate" button and contribute $20 or more to help keep this station alive. Thanks.

Opening photo: Workers from the Amite foundry pour molten steel recycled from the World Trade Center, into the mold of the bow stem of the future Amphibious Transport Dock ship USS New York (LPD 21). About 24 tons of steel was salvaged from the World Trade Center, which was destroyed in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 1st Class Dean Dunwody

The Spirit of Freedom forged in Steel, by Cpl. Ryan J. Skaggs, USMC

LPD-21, USS New York, presented by NAVSEA (PMS 317) Det New orleans, an official US Navy web site.

Amphibious Transport Docks, presented by Northrop Grumman Ship Systems