Nauticus National Maritime Center News

For the first time since his dramatic rescue at sea, Captain Richard Phillips of the Maersk Alabama will publicly thank the commanding officer and crew of the USS Bainbridge during a ceremony in Norfolk, Virginia on November 19. The ceremony will take place on the fantail of guided missile cruiser at 2 p.m. The USS Bainbridge will be moored on the downtown Norfolk waterfront. The Maersk container ship was captured by rogue pirates off the coast of Somalia on April 8. Captain Phillips offered himself as a hostage in exchange for the safety of his crew. For four days, while the world watched, Phillips was held captive in a 25-foot lifeboat.