The American Merchant Marine Veterans Memorial, located in San Pedro, California, was commissioned to honor merchant marine veterans from all wars. It consists of a black wall, similar to the Vietnam Memorial, listing the names of merchant seaman lost at sea during time of war, and a bronze statue.
The statue, depicting one merchant seaman helping another climb a Jacob's ladder during a rescue at sea, was designed by Jasper D'Ambrosi of Wilmington, California. On 1 August 1986, very soon after his original design was accepted and before he started the final model, D'Ambrosi died. His two sons, Marc and Michael D'Ambrosi, created the enlargement which was cast at the family foundry, Arizona Bronze, in 1987 as a tribute to their father.
A bronze plaque on the memorial states, "The United States Merchant Marine has faithfully served our country in times of war and peace hauling cargo to every corner of the world. This Memorial is dedicated to those brave men and women of all races, creeds and colors who answered that call to serve."
The American Merchant Marine Veterans Memorial is located at the corner of South Harbor Boulevard and West Sixth Street in San Pedro, California.
Famous quotes containing the words american, merchant, marine, veterans and/or memorial:
“What the vast majority of American children needs is to stop being pampered, stop being indulged, stop being chauffeured, stop being catered to. In the final analysis it is not what you do for your children but what you have taught them to do for themselves that will make them successful human beings.”
—Ann Landers (b. 1918)
“People run away from the name subsidy. It is a subsidy. I am not afraid to call it so. It is paid for the purpose of giving a merchant marine to the whole country so that the trade of the whole country will be benefitted thereby, and the men running the ships will of course make a reasonable profit.... Unless we have a merchant marine, our navy if called upon for offensive or defensive work is going to be most defective.”
—William Howard Taft (1857–1930)
“God has a hard-on for a Marine because we kill everything we see. He plays His game, we play ours.”
—Stanley Kubrick (b. 1928)
“My gentleman gives the law where he is; he will outpray saints in chapel, outgeneral veterans in the field, and outshine all courtesy in the hall. He is good company for pirates, and good with academicians; so that it is useless to fortify yourself against him; he has the private entrance to all minds, and I could as easily exclude myself, as him.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“When I received this [coronation] ring I solemnly bound myself in marriage to the realm; and it will be quite sufficient for the memorial of my name and for my glory, if, when I die, an inscription be engraved on a marble tomb, saying, “Here lieth Elizabeth, which reigned a virgin, and died a virgin.””
—Elizabeth I (1533–1603)