To commemorate National Transportation Week and 2004 Maritime Day, Mayor John Peyton will present a wreath to a tugboat crew, which will take it to the Atlantic Ocean to cast it into the sea in memory of fallen merchant sailors.
The 22-piece U.S. Navy Band Southeast will play taps as part of the ceremony. The mayor also will issue a proclamation to commemorate the day in Jacksonville.
The ceremony, a maritime tradition, is scheduled for May 18 at 6:30 p.m. at the Jacksonville Port Authority’s Cruise Terminal.
Hosted by the Propeller Club of the United States, Port of Jacksonville, the event will include scholarship awards and a grand prize drawing for a cruise for two.
Merchant sailors are part of the U.S. merchant marine, comprising commercial cargo vessels, owned by U.S. companies and registered and operated under the American flag.