Nov 2, 2009 2:54 pm US/Eastern
USS New York Crew: 'Hearts And Souls Are In This'
Reporting
Jay Dow
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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The USS New York, an amphibious transport dock ship, arrives in New York on Nov. 2, 2009. The ship, scheduled to be commissioned Nov. 7, 2009, has 7.5 tons of World Trade Center steel in her bow.
Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images
With a daughter on board the U.S.S New York, active United States Army Sgt. 1st Class Laura Bradley is familiar with the level of committment required to serve our country. But Sgt. Bradley says she's also aware of the sacrifice that went into building the billion dollar assault ship, which contains 7.5 tons of steel from the fallen World Trade Center towers.
"When you see something like this, the steel from the World Trade Center, and this is made from that you know, our hearts and souls are in this," said Bradley.
Adding to the significance of the The New York's visit, about 12 percent of the ship's staff hails from the Empire State. A former Vietnam Veteran says for those U.S. Marines and sailors on board, there's nothing that compares to returning home.
"Coming out of a warzone and being away, you know that suffering, thinking you might not make it home, and then coming back to the greatest city in the world, you're making me relive it now by thinking about it," said Ret. U.S. Marine Corps John Simpson.
"A sense of patriotic pride for the United State of America," said an emotional Alice LaBrie, a retired federal government employee. "It's emotional, especially because of what we're going through right now."
The U.S.S. New York will remain in the Big Apple through Veteran's Day, and then head down to Norfolk Virginia for crew training.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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