Despite geographical distance, a strong link connects the destroyed World Trade Center in New York City and the Northrop Grumman Ship Systems (NGSS) shipyard in Avondale, La., which, like nearby New Orleans, was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina.
The bond between them is the U.S. Navy ship currently under construction in Avondale, for the vessel’s bow stem was cast from steel salvaged from the ruins of the World Trade Center.
Cleanup efforts after 9/11 included removal of approximately 200,000 tons (181,437 t) of steel, much of which was sold worldwide to be reused for various purposes. However, an I-beam was retained to be recast for the Navy vessel’s bow stem, the most forward part of a ship. The role of the bow stem is to forge a path through the water, leading the ship to its mission.