US Navy Ship Honoring 9/11 Victims To Be Commissioned Saturday
By Ileana Diaz
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A ship named after some of the heroes of September 11th will be commissioned on Saturday at Penn's Landing.
CBS 3's Ileana Diaz gives a close-up look at the USS Somerset.
She'll soon be the newest commissioned ship in the U.S. Navy, and her name, the USS Somerset, is a powerful dedication to those who died September 11th on United Flight 93.
PHOTOS: The USS Somerset
"Had it not been for their heroic actions, the terrorists would have reached their intended target and for sure countless more lives would have been lost," Captain Tom Dearborn of the U.S. Navy said.
For the seamen on board there are constant reminders of this from the names inscribed on the ship to banners and memorials. There's even a piece from the Shanksville crash site that was melted down and used to build the ship's bow.
"Just to know that I'm on such a warship full of heroes, it means a lot," Shakiera Goodman of the U.S. Navy said.
And this ship can do a lot. Inside the ship holds dozens of humvees, as well these -- their amphibious vehicles that go from land to water.
"It actually hovers on the surface of the water and it can carry both troops and equipment," Capt. Dearborn said.
And as you see here there's also enough space on deck for aircraft allowing Marines to come in and assist the Navy.
"Just being able to work with the Marines, it was an amazing experience," Goodman said.
This ship will require 300 crew members all of whom have their own sleeping quarters and while they may look small, were told it's enough.
And this local seaman says he's too excited to sleep and is proud to call the USS Somerset his first ship.
"I called my parents and my grandparents and say 'hey, this is my ship, coming to Philly,'" Justin Pistoria of the U.S. Navy said.
This warship will be commissioned on Saturday and then it will leave for where it will eventually be stationed in San Diego.
