The SIU played a prominent role in this year’s National Maritime Day ceremonies across the country. Those events took place May 22 in Norfolk, Virginia; Port Everglades, Florida; San Pedro, California; Port Arthur, Texas; and Washington, D.C.
The Norfolk ceremony happened aboard the hospital ship USNS Comfort, whose crew includes members of the SIU Government Services Division. Rear Adm. Michael Wettlaufer, commanding officer of the U.S. Military Sealift Command, addressed the shipboard crowd, as did Dave Yoho, a World War II mariner. SIU Representative Sam Spain attended the gathering. (The Norfolk chapter of the Propeller Club hosted a separate National Maritime Day event the prior week, as reported in last month’s LOG.)
In Florida, SIU Assistant Vice President Kris Hopkins addressed personnel from Junior Achievement (a non-profit youth organization) regarding maritime careers and also helped give a tour of the port.
SIU Patrolman Kelly Krick spoke at the Port Arthur ceremony. He saluted past and present mariners and explained how America benefits from its maritime industry.
Retired Maritime Trades Department Executive Secretary- Treasurer Daniel Duncan served as the keynote speaker during the National Maritime Day luncheon in San Pedro. The meal followed the annual observance and memorial service conducted at the American Merchant Marine Veterans Memorial just outside the Port of Los Angeles.
Duncan reflected on the service of the thousands of civilian mariners who answered their nation’s call – including those rejected by the military as 4Fs – during World War II. He noted the war started for U.S.-flag merchant shipping in the months before the nation was attacked by Japanese forces in December 1941.
He then drew attention to what merchant mariners had done since World War II, starting with the December 1950 exploits of the SIU-crewed SS Meredith Victory under the command of Capt. Leonard LaRue early in the Korean Conflict. Despite being under attack and receiving orders to set sail, the Meredith Victory remained in the Port of Hungnam and safely evacuated more than 14,000 refugees fleeing the North Korean and Chinese armies.
During the earlier outdoor ceremony, Los Angeles County Supervisor (and former U.S. Rep.) Janice Hahn noted that her late uncle was a merchant mariner during World War II and compared what he did not receive for his efforts to what his brother (and her father) did as a Navy sailor. She recalled it took more than 30 years before Congress bestowed simple veterans’ status for that era’s mariners. She said more needs to be done.
Editor’s note: Coverage of the ceremony that took place in the nation’s capital appears in the June LOG.
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