| Print | Close Window | AMO Currents - Posted: November 10, 2016 |
AMO members, family honored by United Seamen's Service
Roberts was presented with the AOTOS Mariners' Honorary Rosette for her work in establishing the Hollandstrong Scholarship Fund in October 2015, which provides an annual scholarship available to eligible graduating seniors from three high schools in Maine who are enrolled as students in two- or four-year programs for engineering or mechanical work. Roberts also successfully lobbied Maine's governor and legislature to extend student loan tax credits to mariners living in the state. This has significant impact on merchant mariners from Maine, as they typically work for companies based in other states, which prevented them from benefitting from the tax credits.
Michael Holland was a lifelong resident of Maine. He was a standout athlete in both football and baseball at Jay High School. He furthered his education at Maine Maritime Academy, from which he graduated in 2012 with a bachelor's degree in Marine Engineering Technology. He was lost at sea while working aboard El Faro as a third assistant engineer. The ship sank near the Bahamas during Hurricane Joaquin on October 1, 2015 with 33 crew members.
Contributions to the Hollandstrong Scholarship Fund can be made online at http://www.hollandstrong.org or mailed to: Hollandstrong Scholarship, 90 Shea Street, Wilton, ME 04294.
Accepting the AOTOS Mariners' Plaque on behalf of the officers and crew of the M/V Courage were Captain Kiah Pinto and Third Mate Austin Neuman, who had sailed as a cadet aboard the Courage. In June 2015, 40-knot winds were buffeting the Courage as it maneuvered between Bremerhaven, Germany and Southhampton, England when smoke alarms sounded at 10:20 p.m.
Fire teams assembled and then deployed the CO2 system throughout the ship, which was carrying a mix of military and diplomatic vehicles, commercial vehicles, tractors, small boats and household goods. At 10:50 p.m., it appeared the fire had been extinguished. Smoke but no fire was then discovered in both crew areas and the engine room. On the weather deck, the crew saw steel had buckled and paint was boiling off the metal. Fire teams pumped water onto the hottest parts of the deck. They struggled as their boots were melting, and only the forward fire pumps worked because the aft pumps were heated to near steam.
In the engine room 16 decks below, Third Assistant Engineer Terry Gerth remained at the controls as smoke poured over the top of the main engines. Some 12 minutes later, Gerth was brought to safety.
The Courage made it to Southhampton under its own power with structural damage and cargo losses totaling in the millions of dollars. There were no injuries and millions of dollars more worth of cargo below the affected decks was saved by the heroic efforts of the crew.
Accepting the AOTOS Mariners' Plaque on behalf of the officers and crew of the M/V Ocean Glory was Captain Christopher Hill. In August 2016, the Ocean Glory was operating under a Military Sealift Command voyage charter in South East Asia, heading into the Port of Tanjungwangi, Indonesia when the officer of the watch reported a man standing atop an overturned outrigger fishing boat. Captain Hill ordered his team into action, using the ship's heaving line to attempt to pass a lifejacket to the distressed fisherman.
The effort failed and the fisherman fell into the water, hanging onto the end of the heaving line. The crew rigged the ship's pilot ladder and worked with precision to bring the fisherman alongside the ship's hull, and then to the ladder. After being brought aboard, the fisherman, who had been adrift for more than 20 hours, collapsed and was treated by the medical team.
The ship's crew escorted the fisherman to a waiting ambulance upon arrival at the port and gave him money they had taken up in a collection so he could buy shoes and clothing, and to assist with his recovery.
Receiving Admiral of the Ocean Sea Awards from United Seamen's Service on October 28 were Arthur Imperatore, founder and president of New York Waterways; Captain Donald Marcus, international president of the International Organization of Masters, Mates and Pilots; and Christopher Wiernicki, chairman, president and CEO of the American Bureau of Shipping. The awards were presented during the 47th annual United Seamen's Service gala industry dinner and dance at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel in New York City.
Proceeds from the AOTOS event benefit USS community services abroad for the U.S. merchant marine, seafarers of all nations, and U.S. government and military overseas. USS continues to provide community services for the U.S. merchant marine, the American Armed Forces, and seafarers of the world. USS, a non-profit agency established in 1942, operates centers in six foreign ports in Europe, Asia and Africa, and in the Indian Ocean, and also provides seagoing libraries to American vessels through its affiliate, the American Merchant Marine Library Association.
For AOTOS 2016, Michael Sacco, president of the Seafarers International Union, served as dinner chairman. F. Anthony Naccarato, president and chairman of American Maritime Officers Service, and Joseph Cox were national committee co-chairmen. Edward Morgan is the president of USS and Roger Korner is the executive director. Barbara Spector Yeninas is the USS AOTOS coordinator.
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