The American Merchant Marine Veterans, Inc. (AMMV) invites members of our organization and colleagues from the U.S. maritime industry to attend our 38th Annual National Convention. The meetings will be held at the Maritime Conference Center of the Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies (MITAGS) located at 692 Maritime Blvd., Linthicum Heights, MD. MITAGS is the primary training center for members of the International Organization of Masters, Mates and Pilots. Events will be held from Friday, March 27 through Monday, March 30, 2026. The theme of AMMV’s convention is Preserving Our Legacy, Charting Our Future.
The convention will feature new national officers for AMMV who were elected in 2025, including Capt. Darin Huggins, National President; Capt. Jack Menendez, National Vice President; Capt. Chris Edyvean, National Secretary; and Kimberly King, National Treasurer. Registration for the convention can be completed on AMMV’s website at: https://ammv.us/convention/.
AMMV is celebrating the courageous contributions of U.S. Merchant Mariners to 250 years of U.S. history, in peace and war, as well as the birth of our nation through the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Special presentations at the convention include Three Centuries of Maritime Education in the United States by Dr. Arthur Sulzer (Capt. USN-Ret); and Project Aquarius – The Shipping Story of the 1973 Indonesian LNG Project by Capt. Ed Carr. Panel discussions with Q&A sessions include Contested Logistics from the Military Sealift Command Wheelhouse and International Women in Maritime. A patriotic banquet dinner, with a special guest speaker, C. James Patti, President of the Maritime Institute for Research and Industrial Development, will highlight Saturday night.
A complimentary tour of the Liberty ship SS JOHN W. BROWN is scheduled for Sunday afternoon. The JOHN W. BROWN was assembled in Baltimore, MD and launched September 7, 1942. The ship is one of the last operating survivors from the great fleet of more than 2,700 war-built Liberty ships and the last operational troopship of WWII. The ship is a maritime museum and a memorial to the shipyard workers who built the fleet, U.S. Merchant Mariners who sailed the vessels, and the U.S. Navy Armed Guard crews who defended the Liberty ships during WWII. The JOHN W. BROWN is fully restored and maintained as close as possible to her WWII configuration.
AMMV’s 38th annual convention will be an outstanding opportunity to meet a number of U.S. Merchant Marine veterans from World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and Expeditionary Operations in the Middle East and Northeastern Africa. Also, there will be time to network with active U.S. Merchant Mariners, Merchant Marine cadets, national maritime leaders and union members, and shipping industry representatives from across the United States.
The convention is proudly supported by our Platinum Sponsors – The Gary Sinise Foundation, American Maritime Officers, Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association, and International Organization of Masters, Mates, and Pilots. For a full list of our generous sponsors, visit the event webpage at https://ammv.us/convention/.
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