By Lt. Cmdr. Billy R. Davis
Well, the big day has arrived. Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) New York has joined the ships of the line. I begin this blog entry with a moment of reflection on all that I have experienced to bring me to the point; my past assignments, my past experiences and the myriad of decisions that have occurred in the process.
USS New York (LPD-21) comes to life as the crew man the rails and the ship is flown over by two V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft at the Commissioning ceremony in New York City on Nov. 7th.
For me, on a personal level, the day of her commissioning will be one I know I will not forget on the simple basis it represents the epitome of my professional service. Now add to that the surreal experience of bringing this great ship here to bond with this great city and you can begin to grasp the sheer magnitude of the events surrounding her commissioning.
I will attempt to share this event as best I can, but I will tell you up front words can never do justice to what I witnessed today! As we gathered on this clean, clear and crisp November morning, the air was teeming with anticipation of the events of the day.
Our team reviewed our plans and each insured we had all our roles covered to ensure we contributed to the execution of this historical event. I found myself comparing this to a wedding, the joining of this great ship to this great city in an eternal bond. Our bride, the ship, looked absolutely magnificent in all the splendor of flags, bunting and showmanship. I even saw some sailors adding some final touches of paint to the sides as late as 9:00 a.m. on Saturday morning.
Much like the bride getting her final touches before her grand entrance, our groom, this great city, is ever-present and prepared to meet the challenge of lending its spirit, resolve and committed support to this ship. And true to form our principal participants are so aptly represented on this destined day. A wonderful crew comprised of servicemembers from several states, including New York, as well as six different countries, speaks for the ship and what it represents.
While a true myriad of New York City citizens including 9/11 survivors and family members, first responders, members of New York Police Department, New York Fire Department, New Yorkers, young and old, stand in the stead of their wonderful city.
Holding true to the wedding analogy, this ceremony had a similar lifespan. I was able to witness some of those hours as the ship’s crew repeatedly walked through the execution of bringing the New York to life. Working the timing, the verbiage of the required commands and stepping through each action in great detail. And true to most weddings, the diligence of the practice is often lost in the execution, as it should be, because the event itself takes on its own life force that engrosses and consumes those who witness and participate in such a way that it unfolds in what seems to be the perfection of purpose and process.
Such was this great event. The commissioning of the New York was all that and more. In 90 minutes, the spectrum of feelings and emotions I experienced was just flat out overwhelming at times. A sense of surreal voyeuristic comprehension as I watched the elements of New York City reach out and embrace this ship in such a sincere way; and at the same time this crew not only breathed life into this magnificent ship, but did so with the breath of New York itself. It was beyond moving, it was emotional, it was inspiring and at the same time invigoratingly charged with this pulse of patriotic resilience.
From the symbolism of the Phoenix embodied on the ship’s crest, to the declaration by the Commandant of the Marine Corps who quoted George Orwell and characterized those Marines onboard the New York as the rough men at the ready to do violence on behalf of those sleeping peaceably at night.
As I stood there I knew this ship had a sense of purpose as grand as this city itself. Aptly presided over at all levels, this ceremony was a truly epic occurrence. The words of Secretary of State Hilary Clinton linked the 7.5 tons of World Trade Center Steel forged in the bow stem of New York to that steel found in the spine of every New Yorker. Reaching its height as the commanding officer and the Ship’s Sponsor, Dottie England called on the crew to “bring the ship to life!”
And culminating in the somber words of the commanding officer as he read the names of fallen firefighters acknowledging their strength forged through their sacrifice and pledging that he and the New York will never forget! As I said in the beginning of this entry, I am still at a loss for the words to do this event justice in the eyes of those who were not able to witness for themselves. But what I will say is that as a witness to the joining of New York and USS New York I think we all felt that same conviction to do all in our power to carry the well being of this bond forward in our day to day actions as Americans. To see the spirit of this city infused into the character of this ship I am compelled to remember that there is balance in the universe and that balance is the bridge to our hope to one day have peace in our world.
For more information about the USS New York commissioning, visit the following sites listed below:
http://www.marines.mil/unit/26thmeu/Pages/news.aspx
http://www.marines.mil/unit/26thmeu/Pages/Marinespromotedreenlistatgroundzero.aspx
http://www.marines.mil/unit/26thmeu/Pages/Marinesvisitnurseryschoolchildren.aspx
http://www.marines.mil/unit/26thmeu/Pages/WarriorspayspecialvisittoUSSNewYork.aspx
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