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My own personal reflection.....
We mark time this day, for our past fallen loved ones, .......and for the curtain and inevitable destruction of our enemies.....our endurance more strong now than even before.....we delight in our enemy's approach as they fall one by one. We happy few!
Steve Reichmuth
030911-N-0879R-001 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (Sept. 11, 2003) – Hawaii-based Sailors assigned to the attack submarine USS Chicago (SSN 721) observe morning colors at half-mast on Sept. 11, 2003, with a flag sent from the New York City Fire Department. The flag was sent to the city of Chicago, and in turn was presented to the crew of USS Chicago. The crew hoisted the flag in memory of the men and women who died on September 11, and to pay homage to the brave men and women that fought and died at Pearl Harbor. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Journalist David Rush. (RELEASED)
030910-N-7542D-254 Amite, La. (Sept. 10, 2003) -- Workers from the Amite Foundry in Amite, La., pour molten steel from the World Trade Center into the mold of the bow stem for the amphibious transport dock ship New York (LPD 21). About 24 tons of steel was salvaged from the World Trade Center, destroyed in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. New York, when built, will be the fifth of 12 in the new San Antonio-class of LPDs. See Acting Secretary Johnson's remarks at www.navy.mil/navpalib/people/secnav/joh ... 030909.txt U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 1st Class Dean Dunwody. (RELEASED
Remarks of the Acting Secretary of the Navy
The Honorable Hansford T. Johnson
at the NEW YORK (LPD 21) Bow Stem Casting
Amite, La., September 9, 2003
Thank you. Mr. Sweet, Dr. Dur, Representatives of Amite Foundry
and Machine; all of our distinguished guests, I'd like to thank
you for being here today and for your partnership in this new
beginning.
Secretary England, Mrs. England; welcome, we're proud to have
you here.
I would also like to extend special recognition to Mrs. Janice
Williams, her sons Scott and Craig; and Karen Perez. They are
the family of Louis Williams who tragically lost his life in the
south tower. We are proud to have you here as we honor his
memory and the memory of all those lost that day.
This is a great day for our Navy and for our Nation. The bow
stem casting of any ship is a momentous occasion. Today is
particularly special, though, because this ship bears more than
just a proud name. It bears the steel from our World Trade
Centers.
Wherever this ship sails, the spirit and the memory of the many
men and women who lost their lives that day will go with it.
The USS New York will not be a monument to tragedy. It will be
a symbol of our strength and ability to rebuild and come back
stronger than ever.
We mourned those lost, we celebrated our heroes, and we discovered
an untapped vein of patriotism running through these United
States.
This ship is a tribute to the many civilians who in the midst of
danger and chaos found it in their souls to help another in
need.
This ship is a proud memorial to the many innocent lives taken
too soon and the families and friends they left behind.
This ship is a symbol of the courage we saw in the many
firefighters, police officers and EMT's who raced into the World
Trade Center as it burned. In the leadership of Governor
Pataki, and General Maguire who acted immediately to provide aid
and assistance; in the strength of Mayors Giuliani and Bloomberg
who stood at ground zero and vowed to never forget.
Many of those heroes are represented here today and I would like
to thank them for their courage and their compassion towards
their fellow citizens.
This war is one that will test our endurance. But the
consequences of turning back too soon are severe. As our
President has said, "We are fighting the enemy today so that we
do not meet him again on our own streets, in our own cities."
As a nation we are tested, but we have been tested before.
It was September 11th….1776. British ships sat off the coast and
American soldiers stood in New York. Just days before, King
George's forces left our colonial army dazed, disoriented and
driven from the field. After 1000 casualties, we clung to
fragile footing on the northern part of Manhattan Island.
John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Edward Rutledge met with a
British representative to discuss a possible peace. He told
them they could have peace only if they gave up their quest for
freedom. They refused and our forces rallied to defeat the
King's soldiers.
Two and a quarter centuries later, we found our freedom again
under attack in New York. But this time we were not dazed and
disoriented. We were not driven from the field. We met the
challenge head on with the strength we found as a nation in a
time of crisis.
The USS New York and her crew will persevere in our mission and
will be a keeper of peace in our troubled world.
This ship represents a new beginning. A new use for the steel
that once stood as a mighty symbol of our nation's strength and
economic vitality. When they were constructed, the World Trade
Center Towers were opened with fanfare and became a source of
pride for all New Yorkers. For decades they graced the New York
skyline. When they fell, so did our hearts. But the spirit they
stood for; the fierce pride we feel as Americans was only
intensified.
Today that spirit is being poured into this new beginning. The
new life of the USS New York and the lives of the courageous and
dedicated men and women who will serve aboard her. When she
sails, she will sail with the hope of every American that we can
and will end this era of terrorism.
In ancient times, warriors traveled to the ends of the earth in
search of the best metals for their swords. They sought out
those regions which produced metal with strength, agility and
endurance. We did not have to go far to find the precious steel
that gives our ship the same qualities. We found our mettle in
New York.
The spirit of those we lost, the strength of those who will
always remember has been forged in the steel this ship carries
in her bow.
May God bless the people of New York, may God bless this ship
and her crew, may God bless our President George W. Bush for his
leadership and courage in this war on terrorism and may God
continue to bless the people of the Unites States of America.
-USN-