How did steel from the World Trade Center make its way to USS New York?
From the onset of the initial idea that was sparked during an event in New York in September of 2002, Governor George Pataki was instrumental in pulling together a team to select, treat and package the pieces, which were loaded on a flatbed. The shipment was transported to a Gulf Coast foundry in Amite, Louisiana that typically makes the bow castings for this class of ship. The crew at the foundry prepared the steel by cutting it into manageable sections, and then poured the casting. Once the casting was complete and inspected, it was transported to the New Orleans Operations of Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, where the ship is being built along the banks of the Mississippi River in New Orleans, Louisiana. Building a large Navy ship such as New York (LPD 21) is a years-long process. Construction of New York actually began in 2004. As the ship construction progresses, large sections of the ship (called grand blocks) are built on the ground, and then lifted by crane onto the ship. At the
