Standing on the deck of USS Laboon in the Grand Harbour on September 3 as the guest of Cdr. Donald J. Donegan, I reflected on the many connections Malta has had with the US Navy during the last 200 years.
It all started back in 1804 when the USS Constitution, under the command of Commodore Edward Preble, had special permission from Admiral Sir Charles Bickerton RN to use Malta as his base for his operations during the Tripolitan War. Commodore Preble’s campaign resulted in a Treaty of Peace drafted on board the Constitution in 1805. During this campaign, Maltese sailors served on board the Constitution and later settled in the US.
A hundred years later, Teddy Roosevelt’s Great White Fleet, which comprised of 16 battleships, started a 14-month voyage around the world. In 1907, Malta was honoured by the visit of three battleships.
The Kearsarge, the Wisconsin and the Illinois visited Malta in 1909. In January 2009, the USS Barry came to Malta to commemorate the centenary of this event.
Another connection with the US Navy was when, in April and May 1942, the aircraft carrier USS Wasp was used to ferry Spitfires to Malta during World War II. She never physically entered the Grand Harbour but the Wasp was the main reason Malta could fight on during the siege. Then, in 1942, we had the Ohio saga, another American-built ship that literally saved Malta from capitulation.
In 1945, the cruiser USS Quincy brought President Franklin D. Roosvelt to Malta on his way to the Yalta conference. Meetings between the American President and Winston Churchill took place on board in the Grand Harbour. Finally came the historic Malta Summit in 1989 when the cruiser USS Belknap was used as a base for President George Bush during the summit conference.
Malta’s history is richer due to its connection with the American Navy.
The USS Laboon is the first USN ship to visit Malta’s shores this year. What used to be the norm has become the exception with ship visits becoming much less frequent and far apart.
Although such courtesy visits are frowned upon for various reasons and beliefs, yet, they can only strengthen our excellent relations with the US while benefitting the island economically. Community work by their crews and joint exercises with the Armed Forces of Malta are assets which cannot be ignored.