As is tradition in this port, celebrations to honor those of the sea will be held on June 1st, Día de la Marina. The festivities commemorate the historic efforts and struggle of Mexican naval crews in defending the country, while also honoring local fishermen who risk their lives at sea to earn a living.
This year’s festivities will begin at the Malecón at 9 a.m. on the morning of June 1st, with a ceremony which will include honor guards and speeches by guests who will pay homage and lay wreaths at the foot of monuments in the port area.
At 11:30 a.m., representatives from the naval sector and City officials, accompanied by guests and representatives from the Professional Business Women’s Club, will set sail in order to lay wreaths at sea as part of the day’s activities.
Various tourism boats boarded with invited guests will also join the wreath laying ceremony at sea as is the traditional.
June 1st – Día de la Marina – is celebrated across the nation, instituted in 1942 to honor crews of the Mexican tanker ships the “Potrero del Llano” and “Faja de Oro” that were torpedoed and sunk by German submarines on May 13th and 20th, 1942. During the months of June and July that same year, the tanker ships “Tuxpan,” “Las Choapas,” “Amatitlán,” and the “Oaxaca” were also attacked and sunk during World War II. These actions took the lives of many Mexican marines.
Historically, June 1st was selected as the date to pay homage to Mexican marines as it was on June 1st, 1917 when the “Tabasco”, a Mexican merchant ship, first set sail from the port of Veracruz with the entirety of its crew made up solely by individuals born in Mexico. This was in fulfillment of Article 32 of Mexico’s Political Constitution that had been enacted on February 5th of that same year. This was quite an achievement as prior to when this article went into effect, captains, chief machinists and officials on Mexican ships had all been foreigners.