The amazing conincidences in life....USS New York christened today...

Today the USS New York was Christened, scheduled for commission in 2009. The US New York (LPD-21), is a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock.

Shortly after September 11th 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.

Oddly enough, 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 WTC 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.

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, Pennsylvania and Arlington, Virginia.

The contract to build New York was awarded to Northrop Grumman Ship Systems of New Orleans, Louisiana in 2003. The ship was under construction when Hurricane Katrina struck New, Orleans in August 2005, and survived the storm.