Honoring the Sea: National Maritime Day + Fleet Week Reflections
National Maritime Day may not be marked on every calendar, but for those who’ve ever looked out at the open ocean with awe, or served to protect its freedom, it means everything. It's a day to honor the legacy of our nation’s maritime forces and the deep, often unseen work of those who live and serve by the sea.
This year, I spent the weekend visiting once more, some of Los Angeles’ most powerful coastal landmarks: the USS Iowa Battleship, the National Maritime Museum, and a special Marine Service War Memorial just outside the museum. With Fleet Week also underway and Memorial Day around the corner, the timing felt almost sacred.
Touring the USS Iowa: Reflections on Power and Peace
Stepping onto the USS Iowa, you immediately feel its ,massive presence and its weight, not just physically, but spiritually. This battleship has witnessed war, carried presidents, and weathered time. Some say it’s haunted. I say it’s resilient.
Every bolt and hallway seems to echo with history. The cannons remind you of the ship’s might, but it’s the quieter spaces, like the crew’s quarters or the memorial plaques, that really hit home. Coach Formie even reminded us that the USS Iowa has hosted boxing matches between LAFD and LAPD, turning a place of wartime command into a space for community competition and connection. That blend of strength and service deserves a special shout-out to both departments.
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Discoveries at the National Maritime Museum
Just steps from the battleship is the Los Angeles Maritime Museum, a small space packed with stories. Inside, I learned about:
A Terminal Island dentist who was also a kendo sensei, training students in discipline and swordsmanship before school.
Commercial divers whose courage and skill kept underwater industries, and people, safe. Their suits, gear, and stories were absolutely fascinating.
There’s so much more I could say, especially about these divers and that kind of quiet discipline. Stories like theirs deserve their own spotlight. (And that’s coming soon.) The exhibits aren’t flashy, but they are deep. This museum honors the kind of grit that never makes headlines but keeps the world turning.
The Marine Service War Memorial
Outside the museum sits a Marine Service War Memorial, quiet but powerful. It’s easy to walk past, but I hope more people pause. It honors those who served at sea and never came home.
As the breeze carried the scent of saltwater and sounds of Fleet Week fanfare, I stood there for a while and felt the contrast: celebration and remembrance. Noise and silence. Both necessary.
Fleet Week Energy and the Spirit of Service
Fleet Week brought an energy to San Pedro, navy vessels in the harbor, families visiting, kids saluting uniformed officers. It reminded me that honoring the sea isn't just about history. It’s also about the people still serving today, on ships, at ports, or in boxing gloves atop a battleship.
Closing Thoughts
National Maritime Day, Fleet Week, Memorial Day, they blend together, not as events, but as reminders. To honor strength, sacrifice, and the stories that shape us, on land and at sea. To honor the people who serve, who contribute, who make themselves useful for a greater good. May we all be lucky enough to carry the strength to offer something and to move with it.
Bonus Moment: Three Caps, Three Entries, One Intention
Before we left, I bought three caps, one for me, one for Formie, and one for Forma (their names really are that close in real life). With three museum entries and three caps, the total came to $77.
It stung a little because of timing, because of payments in the mail that aren’t, because light work seasons aren’t always easy. But I paused. And I reminded myself:
“I live in abundance and prosperity, and this was a way to give back and support something meaningful.”
And honestly? That may be the best $77 I’ve spent all year.
Unexpected Inspiration: A Painted Tribute to the Swim
Near the museum, I came across a small painted utility box that caught my eye. At first glance, it looked like a mural, bright, bold, a little out of place. But the text pulled me in:
"As of October 2014, the Catalina Island Swimming Federation reports that 321 people from 21 countries have completed a swim between Catalina and the mainland."
Each side of the piece was painted with international flags and numbers, showing how many swimmers had come from each country.
It wasn’t a monument. It wasn’t official. But it felt like a celebration of something quietly incredible, human endurance, international effort, and the will to cross oceans. Another kind of strength. Another kind of service.
