*~* SHANGRALA'S
USS NEW YORK LPD-21 Tribute!
It was built with 24 tons of scrap steel from the World Trade Center.
It is the fifth in a new class of warship - designed for missions that
include special operations against terrorists. It will carry a crew of
360 sailors and 700 combat-ready Marines to be delivered ashore by
helicopters and assault craft.
Steel from the World Trade Center was melted down in a foundry in
Amite, LA to cast the ship's bow section. When it was poured into
the molds on Sept 9, 2003, 'those big rough steelworkers treated
it with total reverence,' recalled Navy Capt. Kevin Wensing, who
was there. 'It was a spiritual moment for everybody there.'
Junior Chavers, foundry operations manager, said that when
the trade center steel first arrived, he touched it with his hand
and the 'hair on my neck stood up. It had a big meaning to
for all of us,' he said.
Now for the AWESOME PICTURES - and HERE SHE IS...
'They knocked us down.
They can't keep us down.
We're going to be back.'
The ship's motto? - - 'Never Forget'
* GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS *
The Things They Carried (carry)
They carried P-38 can openers and heat tabs, watches and dog tags,
insect repellent, gum, cigarettes, Zippo Lighters, salt tablets,
compress, bandages, ponchos, Kool-Aid, two or three canteens of water,
iodine tablets, sterno, LRRP- rations, and C-rations stuffed in socks.
They carried standard fatigues, jungle boots, bush hats,
flak jackets and steel pots.
They carried the M-16 assault rifle.
They carried trip flares and Claymore mines,
M-60 machine guns, the M-79 grenade launcher,
M-14's, CAR-15's, Stoners, Swedish K's, 66mm Laws,
shotguns, .45 caliber pistols, silencers,
the sound of bullets, rockets, And choppers,
and sometimes the sound of silence.
They carried C-4 plastic explosives,
an assortment of hand grenades,
PRC-25 radios, Knives and machetes.
Some carried napalm, CBU's and large bombs;
some Risked their lives to rescue others.
Some Escaped the fear,
Some dealt with the death and damage.
Some made very hard decisions, and
Some just tried to survive.
They carried malaria, dysentery, ringworms and leaches.
They carried the land itself as it hardened on their boots.
They carried stationery, pencils,
and pictures of their loved ones - real and imagined.
They carried love for people in the real world
and love for one another. And sometimes
they disguised that love with: "Don't mean nothin'!"
They carried memories for the most part,
they carried themselves with poise and a kind of dignity.
Now and then, there were times when panic set in,
and people squealed or wanted to, but couldn't;
when they twitched and made moaning sounds and
covered their heads and said "Dear God",
and hugged the earth and fired their weapons
blindly and cringed and begged for the noise
to stop and went wild and made stupid promises
to themselves and God and their parents, hoping not to die.
They carried the traditions of the United States Army,
and memories and images of those who served before them.
They carried grief, terror, longing and their reputations.
They carried the soldier's greatest fear:
the embarrassment of dishonor.
They crawled into tunnels, walked point, and
advanced under fire, so as not to die of embarrassment.
They were afraid of dying, but too afraid to show it.
They carried the emotional baggage
of men and women who
might die at any moment.
They carried the weight of the world;
They Carried Each Other
-- Author Unknown
Please keep this going so everyone
can see what we are made of in this country!
^BACK To TOP^
For those of you who Want More FUN - Join The Shangy Fun List! Variety is the
spice of life! The Shangy Fun List is a letter packed full of Poems, Inspirational and
Heart Warming Stories. Jokes from G to slightly R, and Anything else that just
might make you SMILE! Join In The Free FUN!! ... :)
YES! I Want To JOIN The SHANGY FUN List Now!!-
Pass This On!
If you are looking for more, here are some good places to start:
Where Was God?-
Freedom Isn't Free!-
Daily With The Troops!-
Daily With The Troops 2!-
Humor With The Troops!-
Sleeping With The Troops!-
Bleed American: 9-11 Tribute!-
Truck: Rolling 9-11 Memorial!
A-Z Animated Picture Images!-
-To SHANGRALA-
Special THANKS Goes To BERT IMADA, VIV PEROPAT, And JO ANN COWART For Sharing This.
Copyright © 1996 Netscape Communications Corporation. Mozilla is
a trademark of Netscape Communications Corporation.
Note: This is an Unofficial God, Jesus Christ, Family, & Cartoon Fan Site.
© All graphics representing Disney characters are copyrighted by Disney.
Likewise all other graphics & music Copyright © by their own Individual Artists.
I do not own any graphics on this site. If you do, please notify me and I'll give
you proper credit, a link, or remove it immediately according to your wishes.
~*~ Copyright © 1997-2008 Elrhea M. Bigham ~*~