Admiral Allen makes comments to the audience after accepting an Award from NAMMA.
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Yesterday after receiving the Joe R. Gerson Humanitarian Award on behalf of the Coast Guard I had the privilege of sharing some quality time with Mr. Adolf Adrion, the CEO of Hapag-Lloyd and a career Seafarer, who started his career with Hapag-Lloyd as a Cadet at the age of 17. Mr. Adrion was recognized by NAMMA with this year's Seafarer Salute Award. His acceptance remarks reminded me once again of the critical role our seafarers play in the vitality and prosperity of the maritime transportation sytem. I too salute Mr. Lloyd and all the World's Seafarers for their vital, yet underappreciated contributions.
In my remarks I reverted to being a child of the 1960's and evoked the lyrics of Leonard Cohen in his song "Susanne" ...
"And Jesus was a Sailor
When he walked upon the water,
And he spent a long time watching
from his lonely wooden tower.
And when he knew for certain
only drowning men could see him,
he said "All men shall be sailors then
until the sea shall free them" ..."
You may recall the last phrase as the title of a book written by Robert Frump that details the loss of the MARINE ELECTRIC. He has also just released a new book TWO TANKERS DOWN, the story of the amazing rescue operations when two tankers split in half off Cape Cod in 1952.
ADM A
