Bill Clinton

“ As we honor the heroes of D-Day and World War II, it is fitting to include among them the civilian American merchant mariners who sailed in harm's way to supply the needs of our Allied fighting forces. ”

“ In recognition of the importance of the U.S. Merchant Marine, the Congress, by a joint resolution approved May 20, 1933, has designated May 22 of each year as "National Maritime Day" and has authorized and requested the President to issue annually a proclamation calling for its appropriate observance. ”

“ Last October, we announced a five-step plan to strengthen the American shipbuilding industry and to make it more competitive in the international market. Our plan promotes innovative, standardized ship designs that will reduce costs through state-of-the-art technology and series production methods. ”