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Eaton Rapids native serving aboard U.S. Navy ship named to commemorate 9/11

1200px-Emblem_of_the_United_States_Navy.svgNORFOLK, Va. – As the Nation prepares to observe the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, an Eaton Rapids, Michigan, native is serving in the U.S. Navy aboard one of three ships named in honor of the victims and heroes of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. 

On Sept. 11, 2001, Petty Officer 1st Class Victoria Laginess, was in the fourth grade. During the attack, her school, as well as the nearby schools, all went into lockdown. 

“Remembering 9/11 is important for so many reasons: not only to remember the people who died that day and the sacrifices heroes made, but because it was a day that our entire country came together,” said Laginess. “That day it didn’t matter what skin color you had or your sexual orientation, every American came together to mourn.” 

Laginess joined the Navy 10 years ago because she was unsure about what she wanted to do in life. Laginess only planned to serve four years and then go to college, but she’s turning the Navy into a career.

As a 2010 graduate of Eaton Rapids High School, Laginess feels the values required to succeed in the military are similar to those found in Eaton Rapids.

“I grew up in a small town where everyone knew each other and were respectful to one another,” said Laginess. “Growing up that way, taught me how to be a good person and helped me establish positive leadership skills in the Navy.”

According to Navy officials, the Navy’s 9/11 namesake ships uphold the virtues of service, sacrifice, and selflessness that have always been the source of America’s strength.

The San-Antonio class amphibious transport dock ship USS Arlington (LPD 24) is named after Arlington County, Virginia, to honor the first responders and the 184 victims who died when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon.

Aboard Arlington there is a museum that displays steel taken from the wreckage at the Pentagon after the 9/11 attacks. Her motto of “Strength, Honor, Fortitude” embodies the strength and determination of the people of the United States: to recover, rally, take the fight to the enemy and honor the memory of those who were affected by the attacks. According to Navy officials, Arlington forges an enduring alliance between the people of Arlington County, Virginia, the United States, the Pentagon, the ship, and her crew. 

“The crew is motivated, professional, and the ship looks great and is firing on all cylinders,” said Capt. Eric S. Kellum, commanding officer of USS Arlington, during a recent underway change of command ceremony in the Atlantic Ocean. “Arlington has an incredible mission and capability, and is at the forefront of ensuring our competitive advantage in the high-end fight.”

Arlington, one of the Navy’s newest and most advanced amphibious ships, is designed to deliver Marines and their equipment wherever they are needed to support a variety of missions ranging from amphibious assaults to humanitarian relief efforts, Navy officials said.  

Homeported in Norfolk, Virginia, Arlington is longer than two football fields at 684 feet; she is 105 feet wide and weighs more than 24,000 tons. She has four diesel engines that create enough propulsion to push the ship through the water in excess of 26 mph. 

Serving in the Navy means Laginess is part of a world that is taking on new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances, and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.

“The Navy is important to our national defense efforts because we are able to deploy to bad places on short notice,” said Laginess. “We are versatile in the sense that we can show force at sea as well as on land by sending Marines ashore.”

With more than 90 percent of all trade traveling by sea, and 95 percent of the world’s international phone and internet traffic carried through fiber optic cables lying on the ocean floor, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity and security of the United States is directly linked to a strong and ready Navy.

As a member of the U.S. Navy, Laginess and other Arlington Sailors are proud to be part of a warfighting team that embodies the spirit, strength, and resilience of the American people. 

“9/11 impacted so many people, and it’s an honor to show respect to the thousands of people who died that day by helping make the Arlington ‘the best damn ship in the Navy,'” added Laginess.

More information about the Navy’s commemoration of 9/11: www.history.navy.mil

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With more than 90 percent of all trade traveling by sea, and 95 percent of the world’s international phone and internet traffic carried through fiber optic cables lying on the ocean floor, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity and security of the United States is directly linked to a strong and ready Navy.

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