The terror attacks on September 11, 2001 left behind many lasting legacies. Some are harrowing and heartbreaking. Some are memorialized in museums. Some have been melted down and repurposed as weapons for good. Such is the case with millions of tonnes of warped steel removed from the smoldering wreckage of the Twin Towers. Some of that steel was forged into a Navy vessel, the USS New York, whose purpose is to fight terrorism and support humanitarian missions.
The ship is used to transport and land Marines, their equipment, and supplies via embarked air cushion or conventional landing craft, amphibious assault vehicles, augmented by helicopters or vertical take off and landing aircraft. USS NEW YORK stands ready to support amphibious assaults, special operations, expeditionary warfare missions, and humanitarian relief efforts.
The ship was named New York after the state and incorporates in its construction steel salvaged from the World Trade Centers. “We're very proud that the twisted steel from the WTC towers will soon be used to forge an even stronger national defense,” New York Gov. George Pataki spoke in 2002. "The USS New York will soon be defending freedom and combating terrorism around the globe, while also ensuring that the world never forgets the evil attacks of Sept. 11 and the courage and strength New Yorkers showed.”
On September 11, 2017, the 16th anniversary of the terror attacks, the USS New York was serving its fellow Americans in need, arriving in Florida to assist with hurricane relief. (Independent Journal Review)