Ship rises from 9/11 ashes, but mission conflicts some

Last weekend was the commissioning of the USS New York, a menacing-looking amphibious-transport warship whose bow was shaped by 7.5 tons of steel from the fallen World Trade Center towers.

But it was the family members of the victims of Sept. 11, 2001, who doubtless felt the event most keenly. Hundreds of them, given tickets through a lottery, watched on Jumbotrons as the ceremony, with honor guard, booming cannons, brass band, and flyovers unfolded on Pier 86 on the Hudson River. The hulking ship can transport hundreds of troops and combat equipment to war zones.

And that’s what was bothering Cindy McGinty a bit.

Her husband, Michael, a Naval Academy graduate, served in Admiral Hyman Rickover’s “nuclear Navy,’’ attaining the rank of lieutenant commander. Mike McGinty, who later worked for Marsh & McLennan, was at a meeting in the North Tower on Sept. 11 when the airplanes hit. He was 42 years old, and left a wife and two young sons. The family lived in Foxborough.

Cindy McGinty was in New York with their older son, Daniel, for the ship’s commissioning.

“I’m a little conflicted about it,’’ she said.

On the one hand, she was proud of her husband, his military service, his life. She was proud that the metal from the crumpled towers went into a ship that will protect the country.

On the other hand, it’s “another thing that can go into battle.’’

And McGinty feels, like many, queasy about putting troops in harm’s way.

“I’m proud to be here,’’ she said. “I’m proud to be part of it, and I totally support our troops. But battle isn’t something anyone likes to see.’’

Instead, she said, she will focus on the ship’s other mission: humanitarian aid.

“I realize the ship will also do disaster relief, and in my own naïve way, I like to think that’s what they’re going to be doing,’’ said McGinty, who moved to Connecticut a year ago to be closer to her sister and mother. She is on the board of the Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund, a nonprofit that supports families of fallen servicemen and women.

Her 16-year-old son, Daniel, was proud to be at the commissioning.

“It’s yet another symbol that they didn’t defeat us,’’ said Daniel, who was 8 when his father died.

It was disorienting, in a way, to see steel from the proud vertical towers that stood sentry at the foot of Manhattan transformed into a horizontal, mobile monument. The ship was draped in red, white, and blue bunting, and a banner proclaimed: “USS New York. Strength Forged Through Sacrifice. Never Forget.’’ The military band played patriotic songs as dignitaries took their places on stage. When the ship was “brought to life’’ by its commander’s order, the American flag raised on its mast and the crew appeared on deck, many eyes were damp.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s speech elicited the greatest applause; she was a senator from New York on Sept. 11, 2001. “None of us will ever forget the twisted and shattered beams, a lone steel column. . . . In these warped relics we see the strength that came through the fire, we affirm the best and worst of humanity we have seen since Sept. 11.’’

Clinton addressed the families of the victims directly. “I have watched you rebuild your lives, your families, your communities out of the wreckage of that day. There are some things that never heal. But sometimes, our pain can lead us to new purpose. Sometimes, we are stronger at the broken places.’’

Clinton noted all of the various foundations and projects started by families in memory of their loved ones.

Her words resonated with Christie Coombs, whose husband Jeff was killed on American Airlines Flight 11.

“She just hit the nail on the head when she spoke about what the ship meant and how it represents America’s resilience and strength and fortitude, and how it represents what the families are all about,’’ said Coombs, who lives in Abington and has three children.

Like McGinty, Coombs prefers to think of the USS New York from a positive point of view: “Not as a battleship going to confront the enemy, but as a way for the service to keep us safe.’’

Coombs also likes the dual role of the ship heading to natural disasters - and the fact that it was built in Louisiana, giving jobs to many affected by another natural disaster: Hurricane Katrina. Coombs, like McGinty, is on the board of the Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund, and she throws a holiday party annually for families of servicemen and women at Gillette Stadium each Christmas season.

With her was her friend, Paul Worcester of Plymouth, a retired colonel from the Air National Guard. On 9/11, Worcester, the former wing commander at Otis Air National Guard Base on Cape Cod, was part of the command staff that called for first-responder jets to scramble over New York. For the next six months, he and his fellow pilots logged numerous hours flying over the city, guns fully loaded, to keep the skies safe from terrorists. At the dedication ceremony, he dressed in his uniform for the occasion and was saluted by crew members, which he said humbled him.

Cindy McGinty also boarded the ship with her son. As she was leaving, one young sailor said: “Thank you so much, ma’am, for coming on board.’’ He didn’t look much older than her own boy, barely old enough to enlist.

“He was so proud to be there and showing off his ship,’’ she said. Again, the mother in her focused just on “just the disaster relief part’’ of the USS New York’s global mission.