United States Merchant Marine Academy - Midships Yearbook (Kings Point, NY)

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TO THE UNITED STATES MERCHANT MARINE MEMORIAL CHAPEL

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The ground was broken for the United States Merchant Marine Memorial Chapel on October 4th, 1958 by officials of the Federal Maritime Administration and the Acadeni ' . DEDICATION Feats of the men of the American Mercliant Marine are seldom known or publicized. Yet upon these dedicated men who repeatedly absent themselves from home and family, rests, in part, the security and continued prosperity of our beloved country. They often must sacrifice even their lives so that we can continue to enjoy the freedoms and pleasures to which we have become accustomed. That they are ready and willing to do this was proven by more than six thousand mariners who died during our nation ' s recent wars. Among those killed were two-hundrcd- eleven cadets from the United States Merchant Marine Academy. Those of us here now remember these men and the sacrifice they had to make. In memory of these and all lost mariners, the United States Merchant Marine Memorial Chapel is now being erected at Kings Point. We wish to express our appreciation to all those who spent their time and contributed their money to make our chapel possible. The chapel itself is a simple structure wliich will serve as a house of worship for men of all faiths. The 1959 Midships is dedicated with this hope ... as its beacon serves as a mark for mariners to steer by, so may the inspiration found in the chapel prove to be a guide bv wliicli all future mariners may shape their lives.

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No natural phenomenon has inspired so much fine writing as the sea. It has gripped man ' s creative imagination, has aroused in him wonder and curiosity, fear, awe, exaltation; and has called forth profound and beautiful prose and poetry in response to the feelings and emotions it engendered. Of all things on earth, it is the restless and changing sea alone which man has been unable to accept or reject. Adventurers and explorers have challenged the deserts and the mountains, the tropical forests and the polar ice. Ordinary men have wondered at them, and some have lived among them. But the sea has ' engaged ' man, has teased him and seduced him, has fed him, tormented him, cradled him. If Earth is Mother, then perhaps the Sea is Wife. However we think of the sea, the fact emerges that she stirs the wellsprings of creativity which gave birth to artistic offspring sired by man ' s imagination and damned by the sea. THE