National Maritime Day, 2019

Proclamation 9895 of May 20, 2019

National Maritime Day, 2019

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

On National Maritime Day, we honor the men and women
who, throughout our history, have served with
professionalism, dedication, and patriotism in the
United States Merchant Marine. We recognize these
seafaring merchant mariners for helping to fuel our
economy, maintain our sea power, and support our
national security.

Merchant mariners extend goodwill into all parts of the
world, serving as a peaceful United States presence on
international waterways. Today, American mariners
facilitate the import and export of billions of dollars
of goods, including fuel, agricultural products, and
raw materials through the Marine Transportation System.
They are also among the first to respond to help their
fellow citizens in the wake of national disasters.

During times of war, merchant mariners courageously
sail into combat zones to provide sealift for the
Department of Defense, carrying weapons and supplies to
America's fighting forces. In every conflict, United
States citizen mariners have answered the call to duty
and risked their lives. Some have sadly made the
ultimate sacrifice for their country.

Because the United States Merchant Marine plays a
central role in bringing American goods to market and
in bolstering our military readiness abroad, we must
encourage more people to pursue career opportunities on
America's waterways and the oceans of the world. For
this reason, I recently signed an Executive Order to
help veterans of the Armed Forces transition seamlessly
into civilian careers in the United States Merchant
Marine by allowing them to apply relevant military
training and experience toward becoming credentialed
merchant mariners. This will help support a robust,
well-equipped, and safe merchant fleet crewed by well-
trained mariners.

The Congress, by a joint resolution approved May 20,
1933, has designated May 22 of each year as ``National
Maritime Day'' to commemorate the first transoceanic
voyage by a steamship in 1819 by the S.S. Savannah. By
this resolution, the Congress has authorized and
requested the President to issue annually a
proclamation calling for its appropriate observance.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the
United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 22,
2019, as National Maritime Day. I call upon the people
of the United States to mark this observance and to
display the flag of the United States at their homes
and in their communities. I also request that all ships
sailing under the American flag dress ship on that day.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twentieth day of May, in the year of our Lord two
thousand nineteen, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and forty-
third.