Crew of 5 American Vessels Honored for Bravery

The officers and crews of five American ships and a seafarer who extinguished a fire on a vessel will be honored for heroism by United Seamen's Service at the 40th annual Admiral of the Ocean Sea dinner on November 13, 2009. The AOTOS honors this year will go to Donald Kurz of Keystone Shipping Co., Ron Widdows of Neptune Orient Lines and the United States Coast Guard, which will receive a special award.

The Honored Seafarer awards will go to the officers and crew of the Maersk Alabama, who fought off a pirate attack while maintaining control of the ship 350 miles off the coast of Somalia and whose captain was taken hostage, April 8-13, 2009. In addition, the officers and crew of Liberty Sun, who were fired upon and sustained damage from a pirate attack, but were able to ultimately evade the pirates without injury near the Gulf of Aden on April 15, 2009, will also be honored.

Others are the officers and crew of New York Waterway rescued 143 passengers from a downed US Airways plane in the Hudson River on January 15, 2009; the USNS Lewis & Clark eluded a pirate attack by taking evasive action to prevent a successful attack off the coast of Somalia on May 6, 2009 and the officers and crew of MV Midnight Sun fought and extinguished a fire preventing the spread of the fire and the damage of the cargo on July 15, 2009.

The seafarer who will receive a Mariners' Rosette is Third Mate Victor Manoli III, who fought and extinguished an on board fire preventing a catastrophic incident on the Sealand Quality on February 14, 2009 in Charleston, SC.

USS also announced the AOTOS Award presenters for 2009. Donald Kurz will receive his award from  Philip W. J. Fisher, President, Chas. Kurz & Company. Former Secretary of Transportation The Honorable Norman Mineta will present the AOTOS to Ron Widdows. General Duncan J. McNabb, USAF, Commander, United States Transportation Command will present the special AOTOS to the United State Coast Guard.

The event will be held at the New York Sheraton Hotel and Towers. Information is available from Roger Korner, USS at 718-369-3818 and from Barbara Yeninas at BSYA Inc. at 732-817-0400 or [email protected]