WEBVTT

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- [Dustin] The US Army Corps of Engineers,

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Mobile District, christened
the Survey Vessel Damrell,

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November eighth, during a ceremony held at

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the Cooper Riverside Park
Amphitheater, in Mobile Alabama.

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Colonel Sebastien Joly, the
Mobile District commander

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presided over this ceremony,
to honor the vessel's

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namesake, Colonel Andrew N. Damrell.

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- Although it's fitting, right?

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That we're we're here to
the commission a vessel

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that's gonna help keep this waterway open,

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this harbor open, the commerce
that this harbor provides.

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The commerce opportunity that
it provides for the state

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of Alabama is huge, and
the trains going by,

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and the vessels going
up and down the river

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are exactly what this is all about.

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So as the 53rd commander
of the Mobile District,

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I wanna thank everyone
for taking the time today

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to attend this special event honoring

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one of my predecessors,
Colonel Andrew Damrell,

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the 16th commander of the Mobile District.

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Many would argue he left
United States Army Corps

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of Engineers greatest legacy in Mobile,

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not just for a district
named after the city,

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but for the city itself.

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A legacy of economic vitality,

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it has been felt across
the 19th and 20th centuries

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continuing to today.

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So, it's with this in mind that
we continue forward with our

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work in Colonel Damrell's spirit
here into the 21st century.

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- [Dustin] Sandy Stimpson, mayor of Mobile

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and guest speaker for the ceremony,

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honored both the Corps of Engineers

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and the legacy of Colonel Andrew Damrell.

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- I'll say this, that the
port is the main artery,

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it is the lifeblood of the city of Mobile

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and for your ancestor to cast the vision

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and do the things that he did,

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has a great deal to do
with why we're here today.

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But as important as the
port is to the city,

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the Corps of Engineers having
their district office here

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is just as important, so
we're tremendously grateful

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for the Corps of Engineers as well

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as all those involved with the port.

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- [Dustin] The vessel's
namesake, Colonel Damrell,

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was the first and long
serving district engineer

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for the Corps of Engineers,
serving from 1873 to 1895.

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Under his command, Damrell was responsible

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for the development of Mobile harbor

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and the current a Mobile ship channel.

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For the US Army Corps of
Engineers, Mobile District,

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I am Dustin Gatny.