HI FRIENDS! THE USS NEW YORK, ON OCTOBER 13, 2009, STARTED ITS HISTORIC JOURNEY FROM AVONDALE'S NORTHROP GRUMANN'S SHIPYARD NEAR NEW ORLEANS, TO NYC. WHY NEW ORLEANIANS WERE SO EXCITED ABOUT IT, AND SHOWED UP TO WATCH IT PASS BY US - - DOWN THE MISSISSIPPI ON A VERY FOGGY MORNING ON ITS WAY TO NEW YORK - - WAS BECAUSE IT WAS SUCH A MAJOR HISTORICAL MOMENT TO WITNESS THIS IMPRESSIVE SHIP LEAVING OUR TERRITORY TO RETURN TO NYC BEFORE THEN BEING EVENTUALLY SENT OVERSEAS. Thousands showed up ALONG THE RIVER ROUTE. AMERICAN FLAGS were waved by hundreds of PATRIOTIC CITIZENS along the banks of the mighty Mississippi, and locals cheered the ship and crew (NEARLY 300 NAVY SAILORS), as music wafted through the thick morning air. "Amazing Grace" was heard coming from a lone bagpipe player, near the banks by the French Quarter, and our Natchez riverboat's own famous calliope played out "New York, New York" as this amazing ship seemed to sift by like a gray ghost in the fog of that early morning in October. Many folks had started lining the riverbanks as early as 3 and 4 am to catch a glimpse of the 684-foot ship as it departed this part of the USA. The enormous ship and crew members were greeted en route by Americans from places in and near NOLA, like Gretna, Algier's Point, Belle Chasse, and the French Quarter itself. Even one of our McDonogh High School bands kept folks dancing by the waterside to Mardi Gras music as they waited for the ship to arrive to their area of the route. The most incredible historical fact about the USS NEW YORK IS THAT THE BOW STEM HAS WITHIN IT NEARLY 8 TONS OF STEEL FROM THE WORLD TRADE CENTER'S TWIN TOWERS WHICH WERE SADLY AND SHOCKINGLY BROUGHT DOWN BY TERRORIST ATTACKS ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2001. 21-GUN SALUTES HONORED THIS COMPLETED "AMPHIBIOUS TRANSPORT DOCK SHIP" AND THE EFFORT OF INCORPORATING THE MASSIVE FALLEN STEEL INTO THE USS NEW YORK. THE 21-GUN SALUTES EVEN MORESO WERE HONORING OUR FALLEN FELLOW AMERICANS WHOSE LIVES WERE LOST IN 9-11. THE USS NEW YORK ARRIVED ON THE EAST COAST SEVERAL DAYS AGO, TO BE COMMISSIONED TODAY, NOVEMBER 7TH AT ITS HOMEPORT AT NORFOLK, VA. - Patty Lee and Armand St. Martin