[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 8]
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[Page 11678]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          RECOGNIZING THE CHRISTENING OF THE USS ``SOMERSET''

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARK S. CRITZ

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 18, 2012

  Mr. CRITZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the christening of the 
USS Somerset. On July 28, 2012, the USS Somerset will become the latest 
San Antonio class landing platform/dock, LPD, to join our Navy's fleet. 
This ship will commemorate the valor and courage of the 40 passengers 
and crew of United Flight 93 who gave their lives to protect our way of 
life on September 11, 2001.
  In waters across the globe, the USS Somerset will continue the fight 
for freedom that the United Flight 93 passengers and crew began. 
Wherever the ship travels, her impregnable exterior will symbolize our 
impregnable resolve to honor their memory and to continue their legacy 
of sacrifice for the greater good.
  About 22 tons of steel taken from a crane near the Flight 93 crash 
site in Shanksville, PA, has been incorporated into the ship's bow 
stem. Like the steel from that crane, the American people have taken a 
new form since 
9/11. We are stronger and more resilient than we were prior to that 
fateful day. Like the steel from that crane, we have emerged from the 
tragic events of September 11th ready and eager to take on new 
challenges, embark on new journeys and explore new horizons.
  The USS Somerset is the last of three ships that have been built in 
honor of the September 11th victims. The USS New York, christened in 
March 2008, was built as a tribute to the individuals who lost their 
lives at the World Trade Center and the USS Arlington, christened in 
March 2011, was built as a tribute to the servicemembers and civilians 
who perished at the Pentagon.
  Mr. Speaker, I celebrate the christening of the USS Somerset with 
great pride. It is my most sincere hope that the delivery of this ship 
will provide the family members and friends of the passengers and crew 
of United Flight 93 with some measure of solace. For the USS Somerset 
will carry the story and sacrifice of their loved ones to the Sailors 
and Marines tasked with defending our freedoms, promoting peace and 
providing assistance across our oceans.

                          ____________________