Fort Schuyler Magazine Spring 2023

F E A T U R E

BY DON GALE

Two Generations of Tra One Commo

For these two alumni, graduation did not end their time at Maritim as Master of the Training Ship Empire State to train upcoming gen Maritime faculty forbears together with their own acquired experien 150-year legacy of excellence. In so doing, they’ve equipped and mo The lives and times Captain James DeSimone and Captain Morgan common thread of excellence they’ve upheld at Maritime College.

Growing Up Maritime: Captain James DeSimone ’73

TSES II, III and IV, as a cadet aboard TSES IV and as Master on TSES V and VI.

WHY MARITIME? WHY MARITIME COLLEGE? Capt. Jim DeSimone ’73 lived and grew up on campus with his family. Many changes took place when his father, Guy DeSimone ’36, chaired the Marine Transportation Department from 1958 to 1972. Jim says, “The gym was near the Fort where the visitor parking is now. The dormitories – they were referred to as barracks – were where the athletic field is. Vander Clute Hall, the quadrangle, Riesenberg Gymnasium, Reinhart Field, Tode and Marvin Halls were all built when we lived on campus.” Had he ever considered a career path different from maritime? “Not really,” says DeSimone. “Just growing up there, we always had the boats. We were around the water all the time. It just seemed like the natural thing to do.” WHAT DID YOU DO AFTER GRADUATING? HOW DID YOU BECOME TRAINING SHIP MASTER? He sailed on a research vessel with Alcoa, eventually becoming third mate. On his father’s advice, he gravitated to oil tankers, ultimately acquiring his Unlimited Master’s license in 1981. Early 1987, DeSimone was appointed by Admiral Floyd “Hoss” Miller to serve as Commandant of Cadets and Master of the Training Ship Empire State, holding those positions for 10 years. EXPERIENCE AND MEMORIES WITH TS EMPIRE STATE “I am definitely one of the younger people to have held that position at Maritime,” says DeSimone. “The interaction with cadets is a really exciting experience you never forget.” DeSimone has been aboard

TRANSITION FROM TSES V TO TSES VI TSES VI was converted from a general cargo ship, unlike past training ships which had been either surplus Navy support vessels or troop ships. “Accordingly, there were significant regulatory requirements to comply with,” DeSimone recalls. “The ship arrived New Year’s Eve 1989 in dense fog. Because of budgets and

Cadet Chief Officer Andrew Engelson ’96, and Capt DeSimone at SST 1995.

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