Monday, April 8, 2013
Ship lauded for its design, ability.
NORFOLK — The USS Arlington was commissioned this weekend before an estimated 5,000 people and formally joined the Navy's fleet of warships. The ship is 684 feet long and weighs about 24,900 tons. It's designed to carry ground and some air vehicles close to shore in hostile situations. "We are not a memorial. We are a warship," Cmdr. Darren Nelson told reporters on Friday. "But we carry the spirit of those 184 people who died that day." The ship is laden with reminders of the men and women who died at the Pentagon on 9/11 and the first responders who assisted that day. The commissioning ceremony Saturday was emotional at times. Military leaders took care to highlight the ship's connection to its namesake county. "You don't get to do this …
Crew shares stories of what the name Arlington means to them.
NORFOLK — Every crew member who reports to the USS Arlington "learns and understands that 184 people gave their lives for us," according to Cmdr. Darren Nelson, the ship's commanding officer. The number is represented several ways in the ship's design, reminding its crew of the men and women who died in Arlington on 9/11. Some sailors were only 10 years old when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001. Others were adults and felt the call to join the military. Officers shared the experience with others who were already serving. About 50 people who lost a loved one at the Pentagon on 9/11 were at Naval Station Norfolk on Saturday for the commissioning of the USS Arlington. Some 5,000 people attended. More:
One leg of every Pentagon symbol aboard the USS Arlington is darkened to highlight the southwest wall that a plane crashed into on 9/11.
NORFOLK — One leg of every Pentagon symbol aboard the USS Arlington is darkened to remind its crew of the southwest wall of the structure that a plane crashed into on 9/11. Arlington County Fire Chief James Schwartz, who served as incident commander at the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, said he was glad to see all the "touches from home" aboard the USS Arlington. The U.S. Navy commissioned the ship this weekend at Naval Station Norfolk. The Arlington County Fire Department had about 30 firefighters and their families at the commissioning ceremony, which saw some 5,000 people attend. Fire Capt. Bo Bennett, who responded to the Pentagon on 9/11, told Patch that the chief planned to present a special plaque to the Arlington's commanding officer…
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Commission hopes to raise $500,000.
The USS Arlington's Commissioning Committee is looking for a few good volunteers. The group hopes to raise about $500,000, most of which is going toward a room on the ship that will pay tribute to the first responders to the Pentagon on 9/11. “It will have commemorative things from 9/11 and some information about Arlington County itself,” said Mary Wagoner, who volunteers with the committee. Funds also will go toward a celebration meal for members of the crew the weekend of the commissioning, she said. “We will take as many volunteers as we can get,” Wagoner said. “It’s quite an honor to have a ship named for your county and we want to create that community bond with the ship.” The USS Arlington is one of three ships commemorating the …
Friday, November 16, 2012
A sampling of stories from the past two years.
Hello! Welcome to Arlington Patch. We have a large number of people today who seem to have stumbled across our site perhaps for the first time thanks to HuffPost Politics. If you aren't familiar with Patch, we're AOL's hyperlocal news arm. We have more than 900 sites across the country, including more than 30 in the Northern Virginia suburbs outside of Washington, D.C. If you are new, we hope you'll stick around and check out the site. Below, I've put together a few links from the past couple of years that have had broad appeal. Thanks for stopping by! Jason Spencer Editor, Arlington Patch Arlington has an electric startup scene. Tech startups here like Opower, UberOffices, Gridpoint, uKnow.com and more are working hard, enjoying success …
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Group hopes to raise $450,000 for the U.S. Navy vessel, the third named after Arlington County.
In the second-floor atrium at 2100 Clarendon Blvd., just outside the County Treasurer's Office, the occasional image of an intimidating U.S. Navy vessel appears with the words, "25,000 Tons of Peacekeeping Named Arlington." The USS Arlington — the third ship to be named for this county — is undergoing its sea trials and is slated to be officially commissioned in April in Norfolk. Meanwhile, fundraising efforts are under way to make that commissioning a success. County Treasurer Frank O'Leary, who is on the commissioning committee, said the goal is to raise $450,000. "It's a daunting task," he said. "We really want to get the entire Arlington community behind it." The USS Arlington is the eighth San Antonio class of landing platform docks, …
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
About 60 volunteers including Caps alumnus Rod Langway helped shape up the shelter Tuesday as part of the National Day of Service.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Today is the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.
Visiting the Pentagon Memorial, volunteering for a National Day of Service project or flying an American flag are just some of the things you can do to commemorate 9/11. For the 11th anniversary of the attacks that shook both the world and the rooftops in Arlington County, Patch is again presenting the "Deafening Quietness" video above that features interviews with Arlington County firefighters who responded to the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001. Below, you'll find links to extended 2011 interviews by Patch Editor Lauren Sausser with each firefighter. Click the following links to watch extended videos from each of the interviews. And thank you to our emergency responders.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Remembering 9/11 at the Pentagon and in greater Arlington County.
Pentagon Memorial The Pentagon Memorial is free and open 24 hours a day. It is located at 1 Rotary Road on the Pentagon reservation in Arlington. No formal services are planned, but the community is welcome to visit the memorial. Volunteer Arlington President Barack Obama designated Sept. 11 as a National Day of Service in 2009. On Tuesday, Volunteer Arlington is hosting a 9/11 Day of Service Preparedness Project. Volunteers will visit canvass four senior independent living locations and equip residents with a starter "go kit" and provide emergency preparedness information that they can use during an incident. The Arlington Food Assistance Center also needs volunteers to help at food drives at Safeway Stores in the county. Flags Across …
Friday, September 7, 2012
The events take place Saturday.
First Responders Cup The First Responders Cup will bring up to 38 teams to compete in the girls fast pitch tournament. The tournament benefits the Pentagon Disaster Relief Charities. The tournament begins at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, with opening ceremonies at the Barcroft Sports Complex on 4200 South Four Mile Run Drive. Read more about the event on their website. Arlington Police/Fire/Sheriff 9-11 Memorial 5K The Police, Fire, and Sheriff 9-11 Memorial 5K takes place at 6 p.m. on Saturday, beginning at the DoubleTree Hotel in Crystal City at 300 Army Navy Drive. The run benefits several charities related to 9/11. The event is scheduled to continue rain or shine, however, if conditions are dangerous, they will communicate any postponements on …
Kev C.
7:44 pm on Monday, April 15, 2013
Great Pics. I love the ones of all the sailors and marines manning the rails and under the huge tilt-rotors of the Osprey Aircrafts. Also the pic of the Battle Flag. Makes me miss not being in the Navy anymore. Godspeed, Fair winds and Following Seas. more ›