REMARKS FOR
THE HONORABLE
NORMAN Y. MINETA
SECRETARY OF
TRANSPORTATION
MARAD
PROFESSIONAL SHIP AWARD
FOR THE SS
CORNHUSKER STATE
NEWPORT NEWS,
VA
NOVEMBER 15,
2002
10:30 AM
Thank you, Captain Schubert, for that nice introduction.
And thank you, everyone, for coming out today to recognize
the great accomplishments of the SS Cornhusker State and her crew.
Throughout history, Americans have been called upon to
serve in our merchant marine — often paying the ultimate sacrifice to protect
their ships, cargo, and fellow crewmembers during times of national crisis or
war.
Without hesitation, our merchant mariners have transported
the critical cargo needed to protect and supply America's Armed Forces defending
our Nation's interests around the world.
And like American merchant mariners before them who stood
the watch and answered the call to duty without hesitation, so too have the
captain and crew of the Cornhusker State.
The Cornhusker State is a critical part of the U.S.
Department of Transportation’s Ready Reserve Force, part of the National
Defense Reserve Fleet. The RRF,
ably maintained by our Maritime Administration, helps our deployed armed forces
by re-supplying their ships on short notice.
In fact, during Operation Desert Storm, almost 80 ships of
the RRF were called to serve the war effort.
If you had flown high over the Atlantic, you would’ve seen a ship every
50 miles between the United States and the Persian Gulf.
This team carried more than 95 percent of the combat gear for our troops.
We activated the Cornhusker State to support the allied
coalition's mission in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
For 679 days, the Cornhusker State remained on-station
providing critical maritime support to our military. And there is no doubt that the actions of the Cornhusker
State contributed to the overall success of these operations.
But its service would not end there.
The Cornhusker State would be activated once again in 1994 -- with only
five days notice -- to set sail for Haiti in support for the humanitarian
peacekeeping mission Operation Uphold Democracy for 74 days.
And recently, just over one month after the horrific
terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11th of last
year, the Cornhusker State set sail once more to support our troops in the War
on Terrorism as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.
After setting sail for the Indian Ocean, the crew spent
Christmas away from their families off the coast of Kuwait, then steered toward
Diego Garcia where they offloaded military cargo. It was there that they demonstrated one of the key
capabilities of the
T-ACS-4 Class of Auxiliary Crane Ships — offloading cargo at
underdeveloped or damaged ports.
For six months -- and without relief -- the Cornhusker
State and crew supported the war against terrorism.
Their gallant service attests to the dedication and heritage of the U.S.
Merchant Marine, the South Atlantic Region, and the American Maritime Officers
and Seafarers International Unions.
To the captain and crew, President Bush, Vice President
Cheney, and I congratulate each of you on a job well done.
Your service and loyalty in supporting our Nation's military forces is
without equal.
To the families of the Cornhusker State, we thank you for
supporting your loved ones during their difficult deployments away from home.
In years to come, history will recall the valiant service
of the Cornhusker State and crew with these three simple words:
Duty, Loyalty, and Service.
And I am very proud to be with you today as we recognize their achievements with this Professional Ship Award from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration.
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