Across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, three U.S. Navy warships carry an enduring physical and symbolic connection to Sept. 11, 2001.
The amphibious transport dock ships USS New York, USS Arlington and USS Somerset were commissioned to honor the victims, first responders and service members of the 2001 terrorist attacks. Today, all three operate as frontline assets, turning national remembrance into operational readiness and global deterrence.
Homeported in Norfolk, Virginia, the USS New York maintains a direct physical link to Ground Zero. Its bow incorporates 7.5 tons of steel salvaged from the World Trade Center and melted at the Amite Foundry in Louisiana during construction. Throughout the ship, artifacts and memorial tributes remind the crew of the vessel's namesake purpose during daily evolutions.
"USS New York wasn't built to just memorialize the events of 9/11," said Navy Capt. John Meise, commanding officer of the USS New York. "It was built to fight and win ... to take the fight to the enemy and keep our family and friends safe at home."
Stationed pier-side in Norfolk alongside the New York, sister ship the USS Arlington honors the 184 victims killed when American Airlines Flight 77 struck the Pentagon. Unlike its sister ships, the Arlington's steel was not cast into the ship's forward structure. Instead, the ship preserves and displays recovered structural steel and artifacts from the Pentagon in its museum and tribute spaces, alongside artifacts gifted by Arlington County first responders.
"You're standing on board a $1 billion warship dedicated to the memory of the 184 people lost in that incident," said Navy Command Master Chief Steve Williams, assigned to the USS Arlington. "When you go to our tribute room and see the murals around the ship, it puts it in perspective that this is real. We carry on the memory, and we fight the fight so that we can stay safe."
On the West Coast, the USS Somerset is homeported in San Diego. The ship honors the 40 passengers and crew of United Flight 93 who fought back against hijackers over Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The Somerset's bow was cast with approximately 22 tons of steel recovered from the dragline bucket that stood near the crash site. Inscribed inside the ship's memorial room are the names of all 40 victims.
"The names of the heroes of Flight 93 live on this ship," said Navy Capt. Will Carr, commanding officer of the USS Somerset. "As long as this ship sails forth, it will be a testament to the heroism, to the memory, and to the example America received that day of just how strong our country and its people are."
Twenty-five years after the attacks on New York City, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, the memory of the 2,977 lives lost remains an active, daily reminder aboard these warships. Deployed wherever the nation calls across the globe, the crews of the New York, the Arlington and the Somerset carry the sacrifice, courage and resolve of that morning into every mission — ensuring that the nation's promise never to forget is upheld through unwavering service and fleet readiness.