The USS New York, built with 7.5 tons of World Trade Center twisted steel, was christened Saturday in Louisiana, an event attended by the families of those who lost their lives in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

The USS New York is the fifth in a multi-ship Navy program that began with the award of the first ship to Northrop Grumman Ship Systems in 1996. This new class of Navy warships is 684 ft. (208.4 m) long, 105 ft. (31.9 m) wide, and displaces approximately 25,000 tons (22,676 t), most of which is the weight of the steel used to construct them.

The ship’s bow is made from steel girders collected from Ground Zero. The ship has the motto “Strength Forged Through Sacrifice. Never Forget.” It can carry 360 sailors and 700 Marines to be delivered ashore by helicopters and assault craft. Its prospective commanding officer is Commander F. Curtis Jones, a native New Yorker.

Dotty England, wife of Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England, solemnized the christening ceremony. She was the one who hit the bottle of champagne against the hull of the USS New York, which is due to be commissioned in New York City in the fall of 2009.

Attending the christening ceremony at the Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding facility in New Orleans, Rep. Vito Fossella from New York described the ship as a symbol of protection and liberty. “It's inspiring to see the wreckage of ground zero transformed into a magnificent and mighty Navy vessel that will patrol our homeland, protect our nation, guard our safety, defend freedom and defend liberty,” he said, quoted by ABC News.

Lee Ielpi, president of the September 11th Families’ Association, whose son, Jonathan, a firefighter, died in the attacks, said in an interview for the Associated Press that this ship wont’ be used in war “unless you bother us.”

“We're sending a message that we're standing strong. This ship, as it cuts through the water, is going to send a ripple. That ripple will say, ‘We cherish our freedom’”, he said.