Sean Duffy Rallies Merchant Mariners for Secretaries’ Cup Glory

On a crisp November morning at Boston’s iconic Fenway Park, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wasn’t just talking policy he was rallying warriors. But these weren’t Navy SEALs or Marines. They were midshipmen from the United States Merchant Marine Academy, and Duffy had one message: It’s time America remembers who you are.

Duffy showed up to the annual Secretaries’ Cup matchup between the Merchant Mariners and the Coast Guard Academy with two missions: fire up his team and shine a long-overdue light on one of America’s most underappreciated service academies.

“Sometimes they don’t get the attention they deserve,” Duffy said. “They’re critical to America’s infrastructure and to our ability to defend ourselves.”

In an age when much of Washington is obsessed with social media optics and empty rhetoric, Duffy brought the grit. He went down to the Mariners’ locker room and gave the kind of pregame speech that would make Vince Lombardi proud.

“You guys have more heart, more grit,” he told the fired-up midshipmen. “So please go kick some Coast Guard ass today!”

The Merchant Marine Academy, often overshadowed by West Point, Annapolis, and even the Air Force Academy, plays a pivotal role in U.S. national security. Its graduates help ensure America’s ability to move troops, supplies, and critical equipment around the world, especially during wartime. They’re the logistical backbone that makes victory possible, even if they don’t often make headlines.

Meanwhile, Duffy’s rival on the day, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, came to back the “Coasties,” whose agency moved under her department in 2003 after previously being part of DOT. The two secretaries both high-profile political figures made a friendly wager: the loser would host the winning team in Washington.

But beneath the banter was a serious mission: raising awareness for institutions that serve quietly, yet decisively, in America’s defense.

“Our young men and women go out and make sure we have the capability of supporting the military,” Duffy said. “They’re out there doing sea lifts, moving products and supplies, and ensuring that the military can do its job.”

The Merchant Marine Academy, based in Kings Point, New York, dates its rivalry with the Coast Guard Academy back to 1949. And while it may not get the national attention of the Army-Navy game, for those who know the stakes service, honor, and pride it’s just as important.

And thanks to leaders like Sean Duffy, that spotlight is beginning to return.

Because at a time when America is rediscovering the value of hard work, discipline, and patriotism, maybe it’s time we gave the Merchant Mariners their due. They don’t need the fanfare. But they’ve certainly earned it.

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