An amphibious transport dock that contains steel taken from the Pentagon following the September 11 attacks will be commissioned the USS Arlington in a ceremony Saturday afternoon in Norfolk.
Construction began on the ship in 2008 and she was christened in 2011. The 684-feet long vessel has a crew of 363 and can carry 800 troops, 14 expeditionary vehicles and 14 helicopters. It will be used to transport troops to war zones around the world.
The soon-to-be USS Arlington arrived in Norfolk last week and was greeted by more than 30 first responders from both Arlington County and the Pentagon. The ship will have an Arlington "Tribute Room," funded by private donations, which will contain items from the county as well as from the damaged Pentagon, where 184 people were killed in the attacks of September 11, 2001.
This will not be the first ship of the Navy to bear the name of Arlington. Most recently, the USS Saipan was renamed USS Arlington in 1965. That vessel, a light aircraft carrier, served off Vietnam between 1967 and 1969. She was scrapped in 1976.
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