For National Maritime Day this year I was invited to speak in San Pedro, California before members of the American Merchant Marine Veterans and others who support the U.S. Merchant Marine.As usual, I appreciated the opportunity to formally discuss our industry’s proud past and bright future. Also as usual, it was even more enjoyable afterward, when I informally met with a number of old salts in the audience. Those types of meetings are the best kind, especially when they involve U.S. Merchant Mariners from the “greatest generation.”
One of the points I emphasized to the entire group is that the passage of time tends to sanitize parts of our history. We simply cannot let that happen to U.S. Merchant Mariners who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
When we memorialize our mariners, we should consider not only their fates, but also the incredible challenges they faced, most notably during World War II. For younger generations, those challenges probably seem distant and maybe even limited on the pages of history books, or in the grainy footage that was shot more than 60 years ago.
But for the mariners of World War II, the odds weren’t good. The fear was real. The enemy was deadly. And yet the mission was essential.
In San Pedro, some of the audience members knew from experience that the seafarers of World War II were attacked from every angle. They were bombed from enemy airplanes, fired upon by enemy ships and torpedoed by enemy submarines.
Many did not survive. They died in blazing explosions, in icy waters, in lifeboats that drifted away to nothing. They died defending their country.
Yet the mariners of that era also pulled off the greatest sealift operation in history. They sailed in every theater, regardless of the danger. They moved more than 300 million tons of materiel. They absolutely earned the title of America’s fourth arm of defense. Simply put, they delivered when their nation and indeed the rest of the free world needed them the most. As General Dwight Eisenhower said during the early stages of World War II, “When final victory is ours there is no organization that will share its credit more deservedly than the Merchant Marine.”
Of course, the U.S. Merchant Marine’s heritage covers much more than World War II. Our mariners have been there literally since Revolutionary times, right up to today as we sail in support of our troops in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. The seafarers’ names and faces have changed, and the ships look a lot different nowadays too, but our commitment never wavers. Our reliability never lessens. Our message to our troops and to the rest of our countrymen is the same: You can count on us!
Equally important is the fact that America still needs to maintain a strong U.S.-flag fleet to help protect national and economic security. History has taught us, again and again, that when America is involved in conflicts, it depends on the sealift provided by a strong merchant marine. There is no other reliable, practical alternative.
Before the Maritime Day events in San Pedro, I spent time at the christening of NCL America’s new cruise ship, the Pride of Hawaii. As you would expect, it’s a beautiful ship. It offers every luxury a passenger could want.
But when I look at a ship like the Pride of Hawaii, I tend to look past the bells and whistles. What I see is the American flag flying proudly from the stern. What I see are American men and women working aboard that ship. What I see is one more reason why the U.S. Merchant Marine has a bright future.
The deep sea cruise industry is a newly revitalized part of the merchant marine, but it most definitely is an important part. In fact, thousands of new jobs have been created aboard NCL America’s three U.S.-flag cruise ships— a development that helps maintain a pool of well-trained American mariners who can sail on military support vessels when needed.
So in a way, I think the Pride of Hawaii pays tribute to the U.S. Merchant Marine of years past. I also believe it symbolizes the ongoing truth that the best way we can honor the mariners of yesterday and confirm that they did not die in vain is to keep the American flag flying on the high seas.
For all the right reasons, the SIU continues helping lead the fight to maintain and revitalize all segments of the U.S.-flag fleet. It’s a battle we are winning, as evidenced by the recent and current construction of new cruise ships and tankers, new containerships and RO/ROs and ATBs. It’s also evident in the continued strong support from the administration, Congress and the military for key programs including cargo preference, the Jones Act and the Maritime Security Program, which are nothing short of vital to the U.S. maritime industry.
As I said in San Pedro, the U.S. Merchant Marine has a lot to be proud of. We also have a lot to look forward to, and you better believe the SIU will continue living up to the high standards of our brothers and sisters throughout history who never failed to deliver.
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