Your resilience is incredible. Each of you proved to yourself and to the rest of the world that you are pretty incredible. You have left an indelible mark.

Because of 9-11 and Katrina, there is a real bond about this ship. There is a huge commonality of spirit of the people in New York and the Gulf Coast, a commitment to pull together when things get difficult.

Chris' broad expertise in business management will make him a very valuable addition to our management team. He has already begun to make a significant contribution.

Their dedication and devotion to duty has been, to say the least, epic.

It sounds trite, but I saw it in their eyes. These are very patriotic people, and the fact that the ship has steel from the trade center is a source of great pride. They view it as something incredibly special. They're building it for the nation.

Accomplishing such a daunting task much earlier than originally scheduled demonstrates the fighting spirit of our work force.

These were especially made for you. These are the only ones. You deserve a lot more.