REMARKS FOR
THE HONORABLE NORMAN
Y. MINETA
SECRETARY OF
TRANSPORTATION
UNITED
STATES MERCHANT MARINE ACADEMY COMMENCEMENT
KINGS POINT, NEW YORK
Thank
you Captain Schubert for that kind introduction.
I know that, as a Kings Point graduate, Class of 74, you take great pride
in this Academy.
Admiral Stewart; Counsel
General Garcia du Froshow; flag officers and distinguished guests; leadership
and supporters of the Academy; parents, family and friends; ladies and
gentlemen.
On behalf of President
Bush and Vice President Cheney, I congratulate all the members of the Class of
2002 on this their commencement day. First
classmen, your presence here today is a testament to your years of hard work,
determination, and ability… all
of which will serve you well as you pursue the path ahead.
You have every right to feel justifiably proud of your accomplishment.
Sometimes on days like
this one, it is easy to forget the many people who have supported and encouraged
you —
or, in some instances, simply put up with you
— as you were buffeted by
the rigors of completing this course of study.
Take the time today to acknowledge the help and love of your parents,
families and friends.
Much has changed in the four years since you reported
aboard for in-doc as a plebe candidate. You
entered the Academy in a time of peace; you leave in a time of war
Kings Pointers have a
long and prestigious history of service to the Nation — so
it came as no surprise to me when I learned that you responded instantly to the
attacks on September 11th by dispatching a fleet of vessels to New
York City.
When your vessels first
headed to lower Manhattan, the Twin Towers still stood.
Merchant Mariners at the helms of commercial vessels all over the harbor
helped to evacuate as many as a million people in just a few hours time
– and without a single
injury.
Then, for nine days,
faculty, staff, and midshipmen from Kings Point worked alongside the Coast Guard
and the Fire Department of New York, performing a wide range of duties.
You served in the finest traditions of the Merchant Marine, and of this
great institution. Speaking for
President Bush and a grateful Nation, I thank all of those who responded so
quickly, so bravely, and so completely.
The President, the Vice
President and I all very much value our United States Merchant Marine Academy as
an important source of merchant marine officers, commissioned officers for all
branches of the armed forces of America, and as a key source of leaders who will
play a decisive role in developing and operating the complex maritime and
intermodal transportation systems of the 21st Century.
We appreciate that the
maritime community continues to provide one of the lynchpins in our Nation’s
global trade, and in our national defense.
Every hour of every day, ships of all types ply our ports and waterways,
connecting America with the rest of the world.
But we also recognize
America’s maritime infrastructure as part of a larger transportation system.
In this regard, I commend all of you for your hard work and dedication to
study here at Kings Point that gives each of you a better understanding of
intermodal transportation systems, so you can ably serve not only aboard ship,
but also shoreside in the front office of a transportation enterprise.
As a Nation, we
should continually rethink how the business of transportation operates, and we
ought to constantly identify better, more efficient methods for transporting
goods and moving people. And, in
the wake of the horrific terrorist attacks of last September, we also need to
continually rethink how to better secure our transportation systems from
external threats. Kings Point plays
a critical role.
As an example, I fully
expect that the Class of 2002 will provide a welcome source of professionals to
help staff the new Transportation Security Administration.
As Maritime Administrator Schubert has said, jobs with this new TSA will
provide yet another way for Academy graduates to serve their country.
It is no secret that
Kings Pointers dominate America’s maritime industry. This is good for the industry…
but it is also good for America, because America’s economy will
continue growing, and maritime transportation will remain at the epicenter of
this growth.
Our commencement speaker
today also fully appreciates the vital role that today’s graduates will play
in serving the interests of our Nation’s strategic and economic intermodal
transportation system.
For more than two
decades, I had the privilege of serving in the United States House of
Representatives with the gentleman from Florida’s 10th District.
He has
earned a reputation in the Congress as a straight shooter, and as someone
willing to work hard to develop innovative solutions for the people of Florida,
and for all Americans.
Today, he serves as the
chair of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, where he has dedicated
himself to improving the quality of life of the men and women who serve in
America’s armed forces.
I also want to note,
with many thanks, that Chairman Young has played an essential role here at Kings
Point by supporting the Academy’s Master Plan – a Plan that
calls for the rebuilding of this important institution through much needed
renovations, and by adding important new facilities that will enable the Academy
to continue to serve America in the century ahead.
But, I assure you that I
would say nice things about him even if he didn’t hold the purse strings to
the Department of Transportation budget.
It gives me a distinct
pleasure to introduce today’s commencement speaker, Congressman Bill Young.
Mr. Chairman, the deck is yours.
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