A contingent of ALPA pilots from United Airlines on November 7 attended the commissioning of the USS New York, an amphibious assault ship that can transport aircraft, armor, and a battalion of marines. For those who may not be aware, the New York is a very special vessel; seven and a half tons of steel from the former World Trade Center was melted down and forged into the bow of the ship. Her motto is “Strength forged through sacrifice. Never forget.”

Pilots from the JFK, DCA, and ORD domiciles attended the ceremony along with Ellen Saracini, whose husband, Victor, was the captain of United Flight 175. The event was held on Pier 86 in New York City so that all in attendance could have a full view of the new vessel. Speakers for the commissioning ceremony included Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, New York Gov. David Paterson, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Gary Roughead, Marine Corps Commandant General James Conway, and President of Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding Mike Peters.

At the conclusion of the speeches, a flyover of V-22 Ospreys and AV-8 Harriers preceded a 19-gun salute. Event attendees were then invited to take a tour, during which time the ALPA United group met Cmdr. Curtis Jones, the first commanding officer for the New York. The pilots had photos taken with Jones and presented him with a patch, which was designed by United Capt. Fred Pertuz in memory of our lost colleagues. This patch will accompany memorabilia provided by the police and fire departments of the city of New York on board the USS New York as she puts to sea.

The commissioning ceremony was a very moving and uplifting experience for the group, which included Capt. Wendy Morse, Capt. Mike De Santis, Capt. Mark Seal, Capt. Jeff Barath, Capt. Rob Domaleski, Capt. Greg Downs, Capt. Nora Downs, Capt. Terry Haynie, Capt. Monte Rodriguez, F/O Sue Guletsky, F/O Chris McCullough, F/O Hector Velez, and F/O Ted Ano.

The ALPA pilots of United Airlines have never forgotten that, of the thousands of lives lost that day, the very first casualties of Sept. 11, 2001, were pilots, flight attendants, and passengers of United and American Airlines.

The New York is designed to operate with maximum stealth and tactical flexibility. Along with her crew of sailors and marines numbering about 720, her components include V22 Osprey aircraft, three types of helicopters, 14 expeditionary fighting vehicles, and several hover-craft. Her mission is uniquely adaptable to modern-day combat missions, including special operations designed to root out and destroy terrorists and their infrastructure.