Hundreds gathered in the courtyard of U.S. Department of Transportation headquarters in Washington, D.C., May 22 for a special ceremony to begin a day of observances and activities in honor of National Maritime Day 2006.

At the morning award ceremony, Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta and Acting Deputy Maritime Administrator Julie Nelson offered remarks and presented the Merchant Marine Medal for Outstanding Achievement to 28 mariners and representatives of ship management companies for their roles in hurricane recovery.

 Other guest speakers at the event included Vice Admiral Harvey Johnson, deputy director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Tom Atkin, assistant to the Coast Guard chief of staff.  

During his remarks, Secretary Mineta thanked merchant marine veterans who served the nation during World War II, the Korean and Vietnam conflicts, and Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.  The secretary also recognized the efforts of the Ready Reserve Fleet during hurricanes Rita and Katrina as the fleet worked together to quickly move needed supplies to the Gulf Coast region and move "people out of harm's way."

"The Ready Reserve ships brought in emergency cargo, generated electricity, helped to restore port activities and provided ... shelter and meals to relief workers," said Secretary Mineta.  "Their hard work was nothing short of extraordinary.  Teamwork was vital to the effort, and so today, we would like to honor their spirit of cooperation by awarding the Merchant Marine Medal for Outstanding Achievement to 28 seafarers for their leadership following hurricanes Katrina and Rita.  Through dedication and determination, these men and women came together to give aid to Gulf Coast recovery and rescue, and in doing so helped replace confusion with cooperation and heartbreak with hope." (Secretary Mineta’s speech)

After his remarks, the secretary and Ms. Nelson presented more than two dozen individual awards to each of the mariners being recognized, and in turn each awardee was greeted with enthusiastic applause and best wishes from scores of smiling audience members.

Serving as the event's master of ceremonies was Kevin Krick, MARAD's senior advisor for maritime policy.  The day also marked Mr. Krick's final day of service to MARAD and he received farewell accolades from both Secretary Mineta and Ms. Nelson during their remarks.

 The ceremony concluded with the traditional sounding of eight bells, which signifies the end of one watch aboard ship and the beginning of another.

Other Maritime Day 2006 activities included a special mass and Day of Prayer and Remembrance for Seafarers at Saint Dominic Church in Washington. Events conducted at the Washington Navy Yard included a Propeller Club/King's Point Alumni Club joint luncheon, a wreath-laying ceremony, the National Maritime Day Forum and a reception, both sponsored by the North American Maritime Ministries Association.