American Merchant Marine Veterans, Inc. (AMMV)

Photos from AMMV's annual Patriotic Dinner as part of our National Convention last weekend. #USA #WeDeliver #mariner #MerchantMarine

#AMMV members enjoyed at trip to the #LibertyShip John W. Brown at our National Convention this past weekend. #HeaveHo!

Some pics from our National Convention this past weekend. The panels (Intergenerational Women in Maritime and MSC Wheelhouse/Contested Waters) were highlights of our event!

Calling all Baltimore/D.C. area mariners: There is still time to register for the AMMV National Convention at @mitags_maritime Maritime Conference Center, to be held Friday evening 3/27 thru Sunday evening 3/29. Featured highlights include a panel of #MSC Captains who will be talking about sailing into modern day war zones, and an intergenerational panel of female mariners to discuss how the maritime career for women has evolved over the decades. Jim Patti of @USA_Maritime #MIRAID will be the featured speaker for our Patriotic Dinner (3/28) which will honor a #WWII #MerchantMariner KIA in the Bari Air Raid in Dec. 1943. Also appearing will be #WW2 mariner & famous motivational speaker @dave_yoho. @SeafarersUnion @Maritime_AMC @ITFglobalunion @US_TRANSCOM @MMP_Union @MEBAUNION @AMPmaritime @NavyLeagueUS @propeller_club

For this year’s Patriotic Dinner at the #AMMV National Convention (Saturday evening, March 28), we are dedicating the event in memory of #WWII mariner Shelton C. Meade, who was KIA aboard the #LibertyShip John Harvey during the attack on Bari, Italy on December 2, 1943. The convention will take place at the #MITAGS Maritime Conference Center near #BWI airport. A massive German air raid surprised the port's defenders and bombed the harbor, sinking 27 cargo and transport ships. The attack lasted a little more than an hour and put the port out of action until February 1944. This became known as “the second Pearl Harbor.” Joining us for the dinner will be descendants of Shelton Meade. Speakers will include Jim Patti of #MIRAID and #WW2 mariner and famous motivational speaker Dave Yoho. We will have live jazz music as entertainment. About five #WW2 #MerchantMarine #Veterans are expected to be in attendance. To register for the AMMV Patriotic Dinner, click here: ammv.us/convention/ #WeDeliver #InPeaceAndWar #VictoryShip #convoy #USA #freedom #sacrifice #honor #service #1in26

PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 10, 2026 102-Year-Old WWII Merchant Mariner to Publish Memoir Still Afloat: A Life at Sea and Ashore—Not Overboard Yet Glen Cove, New York 11542 At 102 years old, World War II Merchant Marine veteran Hugh M. Stephens will soon publish his first memoir, Still Afloat: A Life at Sea and Ashore—Not Overboard Yet, a remarkable account of a lifetime spent in and around the maritime world. Stephens first went to sea during World War II, serving aboard American merchant ships that transported vital supplies across dangerous waters threatened by German U-boats. His memoir brings readers aboard those ships and into the daily life of young seamen navigating wartime oceans. After the war, Stephens remained deeply connected to the maritime industry, continuing his career ashore in ship operations and maritime safety. For many years he and his wife operated SOS – Ships’ Operational Safety, Inc., a maritime safety consulting business that served the shipping industry. Stephens later shared his knowledge with future mariners as a Senior Lecturer at SUNY Maritime College, where he taught and mentored cadets until his retirement at age 98. His memoir also reflects on his early years, including his work as a Western Union telegram boy, delivering wartime messages that sometimes carried heartbreaking news to American families. Stephens stresses that love is critical in this harsh world and that people must learn from their mistakes. Now a resident of Glen Cove, Long Island, Stephens completed the manuscript at age 102 and has received the final proof copy. The book is currently undergoing final edits before publication. “This book is about remembering,” Stephens says. “So many of the men I sailed with are gone now. I wanted their stories, and the spirit of those years, to live on.” Still Afloat offers readers a rare personal window into the lives of Merchant Mariners and the broader maritime community that helped sustain global shipping in the decades after World War II. The book is expected to be released in about two months and will be available through major booksellers and library distribution channels. Media Contact: Maryann Zappulla Editor and Project Coordinator Glen Cove, New York 516-770-1704 zappulla@gmail.com About the Author Hugh M. Stephens is a World War II Merchant Marine veteran and lifelong maritime professional. Following his wartime service at sea, he worked for decades in ship operations and maritime safety, co-founding SOS – Ships’ Operational Safety with his wife. He later served as a Senior Lecturer at SUNY Maritime College until his retirement at age 98. He now lives on Long Island, New York, with his life partner, Maryann and their cat Ginger.

Here's the latest on the 2026 AMMV National Convention at #MITAGS / Maritime Conference Center. Register here: ammv.us/convention/ OPENING REMARKS: WWII Merchant Marine Veteran & world-famous motivational speaker, Mr. Dave Yoho PANEL: Contested logistics in the MSC Wheelhouse… Join an esteemed panel of ship masters as they share firsthand insight into the realities of sailing into modern-day war zones. Through their professional experiences, these captains will examine the logistical and human challenges of navigating vessels amid geopolitical instability, offering a compelling look at the responsibilities of operating vessels in hostile environments. Panelists: Capt. Mike Parr, Capt. Jack Menendez, others TBD; Moderator: Kyle Knickerbocker (AMMV Regional VP) PANEL: Intergenerational Women in Maritime… Join a dynamic, cross-generational panel of women mariners as they explore their experiences in the maritime industry. This engaging dialogue will bring together perspectives from different eras, highlighting the challenges, progress, and the shared determination of women mariners. Panelists: Capt. Meredith Floyd, Capt. Alaina Basciano, Capt. Beth Christman, TBD SIU mariner; Moderator: Dr. June Klees PRESENTATION: Project Aquarius - The Shipping Story of the 1973 Indonesian LNG Project (Ed Carr) PRESENTATION: Three Centuries of Maritime Education in the United States (Dr. Arthur H. Sulzer) KEYNOTE DINNER SPEAKER: Jim Patti (Maritime Institute for Research and Industrial Development (MIRAID) Live jazz music at the Patriotic Dinner!

As part of the AMMV National Convention at @mitags_maritime Maritime Conference Center, we are pleased to announce the following panels on Saturday, March 28: PANEL: Contested logistics in the MSC Wheelhouse… Join an esteemed panel of ship masters as they share firsthand insight into the realities of sailing into modern-day war zones. Through their professional experiences, these captains will examine the logistical and human challenges of navigating vessels amid geopolitical instability, offering a compelling look at the responsibilities of operating vessels in hostile environments. PANEL: Intergenerational Women in Maritime… Join a dynamic, cross-generational panel of women mariners as they explore their experiences in the maritime industry. This engaging dialogue will bring together perspectives from different eras, highlighting the challenges, progress, and the shared determination of women mariners. @SeafarersUnion @MEBAUNION @AMPmaritime @US_TRANSCOM @DOTMARAD @Maritime_AMC @USA_Maritime @MMP_Union @Trans_Inst @propeller_club @GLMaritime @daveyoho To register: ammv.us/convention/ #AMMV #mariner #MerchantMarine #MSC #MITAGS #cargo #WeDeliver #InPeaceAndWar #maritime #shipping #USA

Here is the latest agenda for the #AMMV National Convention, to be held at the #MITAGS Maritime Conference Center from March 27 thru March 30th, with the key date being Saturday, March 28. For more info, and to register, click here: ammv.us/convention/

Follow @AMMWWII for news and updates on #Linkedin here: linkedin.com/company/americ…

The dates/location are set for the #AMMV 2026 National Convention! We are accepting early bird registrations.

Happy Holidays from #AMMV!

A full report from the 12/15 conference, which commemorated the 75th anniversary of the Hungnam Evacuation, has been posted on the AMMV website. ammv.us/ammv-members-h… #Hungnam #MerchantMarine #MeredithVictory #VictoryShip #BrotherMarinus #KoreanWar #Korea #history #75thAnniversary #mariner

More pics from 75th anniversary of Hungnam Evacuation -- special 1-day conference