The USS Arlington - why it was named USS Arlington / The ship will demonstrate “why we do the things we do ”

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Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of all who threaten it.


Twisted chunks of steel torn from the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, will be displayed aboard a new Navy ship named after Arlington County, Va.

The rusted fragments will be displayed in a Lucite box on the quarterdeck of the USS Arlington, a symbolic reminder for those aboard of the terrorist attacks on Virginia and New York.

“This will be very tangible to the young people on the ship,” said Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., who yesterday attended a small ceremony at the Pentagon where the Secretary of the Navy presented the fragments to Arlington County officials.

“This will give them the history of why it was named” the USS Arlington “and why we do the things we do,” he added.


USS Arlington christening a time of joy and sadness
Published: Thursday, March 24, 2011, 5:39 AM
By Mississippi Press Editorial Board - The Mississippi Press


THE ESSENCE of what makes America great -- including its military, its workers and its patriotic spirit -- will be on display this weekend in Pascagoula, when the U.S. Navy christens its newest amphibious transport ship.

From the ceremonial champagne to the remembrance of those who died at the Pentagon on 9/11, Saturday promises to be a partly festive, partly somber day at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding's Pascagoula shipyard.

The ceremony's keynote remarks will be delivered by Arlington County, Va., Fire Chief James Schwartz, who was incident commander at the time of the terrorist attack.

The ship was named for Arlington County, home of the Pentagon, where American Airlines Flight 77 crashed on Sept. 11, 2001, killing 184 people.

It is a worthy tribute to those who died, and also to the military and civilian employees at the Pentagon and the emergency personnel of Arlington County who responded to the crash.

May Gulf Coast residents show them the respect and gratitude they deserve for their selfless acts in the face of terror.

Certainly, the construction of the Arlington was a labor of love for Gulf Coast shipyard workers, who have a reputation for being among the nation's best shipbuilders, dedicated to their craft and country. As first lady Michelle Obama said last year, when she helped christen a Coast Guard cutter in Pascagoula, "Your hands have given us some of the greatest ships in the United States Navy and Coast Guard."

We predict that after it is commissioned next year, the USS Arlington will serve the nation well as it transports sailors, Marines and equipment to hot spots around the world.

As it carries out its various missions, the Arlington will also remind the world of the tragedy as well as the heroics that occurred at the Pentagon on that terrible day 10 years ago.