George Washington (CVN 73) - Naval Cruise Book

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Reservists Ti atmosphere was solemn in the hangar bay the morning ot'( )etober 11, 2001. Four Navy reservists on board USS George Washington to complete their two weeks active duty and less than two weeks removed from the devastation that remained from what used to be the World Trade Center, made a special presentation a month after the September 11 terrorist attack on America. For two weeks the four reserve corpsmen, all attached to the same Marine detachment in Garden City. N.Y., gratefully used GW as a refuge from the reality that surrounded (their full-time medical professions in New hdrk All four reservists, still recovering from the tragic loss of co-workers, close friends and family, walked off the carrier the next day and returned to those lives. But before they did. MM2 Ed Keenan, a New York City Fire Department paramedic and his three friends, wanted to present the ship with a flag that flew over the USS Arizona Memorial and just prior to them arriving aboard flew at “Ground Zero above what remained of the World Trade Center. During the presentation. Keenan made some heartfelt remarks to the crew that had gathered in the hangar bay. “In the wake of the terrorist attack on New York City at the World Trade Center one month agl today, a feeling of security was felt by tlios of us involved in the rescue effort. Tha security was the presence of USS George Washington on station standing the watch while we continued the rescue effort. To that end we all felt that it should be GW and no other ship that should claim a flag from that site. So Captain McCarthy, we give you ours.