Article Posted on : - Nov 09, 2009

The bow of the New York is built with metal recovered from the World Trade Center site.

NEW YORK (PTI): USS New York, an amphibious assault ship, built with the steel from the rubble of the collapsed World Trade Centre twin towers was commissioned here amid "searing memories" of September 11 terror attacks.

Named in the honour of the victims of September 11 terror attacks, the newly built 208-meter vessel's motto is "strength forged through sacrifice. Never forget."

Crew members in their blue uniform stood in attention as the navy's latest warship came to life on Saturday after US Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced "I hereby place the USS New York in commission."

The command, then, rang out at Pier 86 on Manhatan's West Side: "Man our ship and bring her to life!"

In a ceremony charged with emotion, pride and patriotism, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who was the keynote speaker for the ceremony, said: "This ship carries with it searing memories of September 11."

"And in that steel, burned but unbroken, lives the spirit we saw on 9/11 and the days that followed, the bravery of the rescuers, the resolve of the survivors, the compassion of this city, the patriotism of this great country," she added.

The USD 1 billion warship was built in Louisiana by workers who had survived the country's another tragedy -- Hurricane Katrina.

Earlier this month during its inaugural visit, the warship visited New York where first responders, families of the terror victims and the public were invited to watch its journey on the Hudson River.