USS New York Launched 

 USS New York with its Twin Towers

The USS New York is the fifth in a new class of warship - designed for missions that include special operations against terrorists.

It has a crew of 360  sailors and a complement of 700 combat-ready Marines ready to be dispatched ashore by helicopters and assault crafts. 

The USS New York was built with 24 tons  of scrap steel from the ruins of the Twin Towers of the NY World Trade Center which was totally destroyed during the 9/11 terrorist attack of 2001. 

Steel extracted from the World Trade Center was melted down in a foundry in the City of Amite, in Louisiana, and later poured into molds to form the different sections of the ship's structure. 

On Sept 9, 2003, melted steel was poured to cast the ship's bow section. According to Navy Capt. Kevin Winsing, who was present during the occasion,  'those big rough steel workers treated it with total reverence.' 

Junior Chavers, the foundry operations manager, said that when the trade center steel first arrived, he touched it with his hand and the 'hair on my neck stood up.' 

'It had a big meaning to it for all of us,' he said. 'They knocked us down. They can't keep us down. We're going to be back.'