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

Page 28 text:

Administrator U S Department of Transportation Maritime Administration 400 Seventh Street, S W Washington. D C 20590 Message to the Merchant Marine Academy Class of 1996 It is my distinct pleasure to congratulate each of you on achieving your scholastic goal and completing four years of rigorous study at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. As a graduate of Kings Point, 1 share a special bond with each of you. You now stand ready to embark on a life’s journey where you join ranks with a proud and preeminent profession. From early colonial times the merchant marine helped our fledgling nation take its first tentative steps onto the waterways of domestic and international commerce. Through the centuries great maritime leaders have emerged from the ranks you now join. Many of these visionaries designed and developed some of the maritime infrastructure and navigation aids that have contributed to the maritime supremacy of this nation. Merchant mariners are a key resource in the history of America’s national security'. Time and time again it is our merchant marine who place their patriotism and selflessness on the line as our nation works to secure its economic and political interests both domestically and abroad. Since the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact and the fall of the Soviet Union, our defense posture continues to undergo significant change with increased demands for forward presence and power projection with strategic sealift. No longer confronted by the Cold War, our nation addresses new strategic challenges in conducting peacekeeping and crisis response operations. Since the turn of this decade, regional conflicts continue to dominate the world’s political landscape. As a result, we have played a vital role in transporting the lion’s share of the U.S. and allied military cargo loads in the Persian Gulf, in Haiti, in Somalia, and now in Croatia. America looks to the merchant marine now more than ever. Your challenge in this new world order is to set sail into the 21st century with a courageous yet judicious mix of idealism and realism. As you begin your journey, may those sails you set know fair winds and following seas. And as you chart your course, may you exemplify the honor, integrity, and esprit de corps that embody the profession you now so proudly join. (A. y. Herberger witime Administrator

Page 27 text:

THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20590 MESSAGE TO THE MERCHANT MARINE ACADEMY CLASS OF 1996 It is a pleasure to extend my congratulations to each of you for completing four years of demanding study at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. During your time at Kings Point, you learned much about the traditions of merchant mariners and the sea. These traditions--loyalty, diligence, comradeship, integrity and faith in oneself--will augment and reinforce the professional skills you have acquired over the last four years. American civilian seafarers have played a vital role in economic growth and maintaining freedom since this country's inception. Along with President Clinton, I recognize the strategic importance of sealift and the willingness of merchant mariners to place country and patriotism before themselves. I know we can count on you, as a future leader in the maritime industry, to help ensure the continued viability of the American maritime industry. Best wishes and Godspeed. Federico Pena

Page 29 text:

To the Class of 1996: Congratulations! You can be very proud of your accomplishments in completing the Academy’s rigorous and demanding curriculum. Individually and as a class, you successfully led the Regiment of Midshipmen as we continued to work together to make Kings Point the very best. You graduate with my deep respect and gratitude for a job well done. I know you are ready to accept the challenges and responsibilities ahead. I am confident that you will serve the Nation well and bring honor and pride to yourselves and to the U. S. Merchant Marine Academy. God steer thee well, ‘96. Respectfully, — THOMAS T. MATTESON Rear Admiral, USMS 25