Members of the SIU’s deep sea and inland divisions were among those honored Jan. 30 during a ceremony jointly sponsored by the U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd) and the Port of New Orleans. The event, which took place in New Orleans, recognized individuals and organizations for their relief efforts following Hurricane Katrina last summer.Approximately 100 people, including a half-dozen Seafarers and SIU New Orleans Port Agent Steve Judd, participated in the ceremony.
“It was a good turnout and good recognition, for sure,” said Seafarer Raymond Schwartz, who sails as a captain with Crescent Towing, one of the companies commended at the event. “A lot has been done to get the port back up and running.”
A spokesperson for the port of New Orleans said that as of early February, the port was operating at about 80 percent of capacity.
“The ceremony was fantastic,” said Chief Steward Eddie Taylor, who has worked aboard the Cape Kennedy throughout the relief operations. “It was a good feeling, recognizing everybody that had a part in the recovery, no matter how big or small. Give the port and everyone else who had a hand in the ceremony praise for doing it.”
“What struck me during the ceremony was the appreciation for so much cooperation and productivity under very difficult and unique circumstances,” Judd said. “After the hurricane, things could have fallen apart very easily, but it didn’t happen. Everybody found a way to make it work.”
Seafarers sailed aboard at least 14 vessels that were involved in Katrina relief operations, whether the ships already were in the area when the hurricane struck or were activated later. SIU boatmen from Crescent Towing played crucial and immediate roles throughout the port, particularly during the storm’s immediate aftermath.
Those mariners and others were recognized at the ceremony by featured speakers including John Jamian, acting administrator of MarAd; Gary LaGrange, president and CEO of the Port of New Orleans; and Rear Admiral Robert Duncan, commander of the Eighth U.S. Coast Guard District and commander of the agency’s Maritime Defense Command Eight, which is based in New Orleans.
Seafarers received certificates of appreciation, and MarAd also announced that is has approved the awarding of the Merchant Marine Medal for Outstanding Achievement to the crews and operating companies of the agency’s ships that supported recovery efforts from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
The Merchant Marine Medal for Outstanding Achievement was established in 2002, and is awarded to members of the maritime industry who have “given extraordinarily valuable contributions to the merchant marine,” according to the agency.
“The men and women who crewed and operated these ships provided relief and care to the Gulf Coast at a critical time, and they have brought great honor and distinction to the U.S. Merchant Marine,” said Jamian. “They moved quickly into the stricken area and provided food and shelter for thousands of rescue and recovery workers, and demonstrated the extraordinary capability of the U.S. Merchant Marine and industry to respond in a crisis.”
Designated recipients are crews and officers of six Seafarers-contracted ships from MarAd’s Ready Reserve Force: Cape Kennedy, Cape Knox, Cape Vincent, Diamond State, Equality State and Wright; three training ships from state maritime academies: State of Maine, Empire State and Sirius; and one other ship from MarAd’s National Defense Reserve Fleet, Texas Clipper II. The management companies are Keystone Shipping, Pacific Gulf Marine, Interocean American Shipping, Ocean Shipholdings, and Crowley Liner Services.
Schwartz was among the first on the scene even before the storm hit. After reassuring his family that he was determined to work through the hurricane along with his fellow SIU boatmen, he noted an odd feeling while driving from a New Orleans suburb into the city. “People were evacuating by the thousands. I felt weird—I was basically the only one on the road heading south.”
Nevertheless, although Schwartz and his wife now joke about it, his commitment (and, undoubtedly, those of his fellow members) caused some concern among family members before the storm. “Like I told them, it’s what we do. Otherwise the maritime industry —the maritime family—will suffer more losses. We’re in the business to prevent problems from happening. A lot of people don’t understand that.”
Schwartz helped secure the SIU-crewed RRF ships Cape Kennedy and Cape Knox throughout the hurricane. Those vessels later served as bases for hundreds of relief workers.
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