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For actions on December 26, 1969
Gallant Ship Award Citation:
On December 26, 1969, while en route to Yokohama, Japan, in the North Pacific Ocean, the Greek ship KHIAN STAR responded to an SOS from the American SS BADGER STATE, stating their cargo of bombs had broken loose...
When the United States entered World War II in December 1941, it faced a shortage of merchant mariners. With supplies in desperate needs overseas a massive sealift would require not only a huge fleet of cargo ships, but the seafarers to sail them. This opened the...
For actions on June 2, 1973
Gallant Ship Award Citation:
In New York Harbor, June 2, 1973, the C/V SEA WITCH rammed the SS ESSO BRUSSELS, touching off explosions and fires. New York City FIREFIGHTER, first fireboat to arrive on scene, concentrated her monitors on knocking...
The Gallant Ship Award is presented by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to any U.S.-flag or foreign ship “participating in outstanding or gallant action in a marine disaster or other emergency to save life or property at sea.”
The award originates from an executive order...
The Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet (SBRF) is an anchorage of the National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) located in Suisun Bay, a tidal estuary northeast of San Francisco Bay. Of the original eight fleet sites, it is one of three that is still in operation and the only site serving...
The Beaumont Reserve Fleet (BRF) is an anchorage of the National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) located on the Neches River in Beaumont, Texas. Originally one of eight NDRF fleet sites scattered across the country, BRF is currently one of three and the only the anchorage on the...
The James River Reserve Fleet (JRRF) is an anchorage of the National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) located on the James River at Fort Eustis, Virginia. It is the oldest of the original eight NDRF fleet sites and is currently one of three that is still in operation.
A...
The Department of Interior, National Park Service (NPS) established the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) program in 1969 to document historic sites and structures, which includes ships. The HAER program is distinct from NPS‘s Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) program, and...
The Maritime Administration (MARAD) helps to promote and preserve U.S. maritime history by supporting the dozens of U.S. memorial/museum ships located throughout the country. Through its authority in the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 1996, MARAD has transferred thousands of artifacts and...
James R. Europe
James R. Europe was another African-American given the opportunity to pursue seagoing employment while serving his country during the national emergency of World War II.
The son of a well-known musician, band leader and composer of the early 20th...