Merchant Marine Academy: Jesus Painting Up from the Basement

By Chris O’Neill

A recent visit to the United States Merchant Marine Academy by US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy saw a dramatic reversal of an anti-religious and anti-Christian policy by the prior administration – and the restoration of a historic work of art to its longtime place at the Academy.

This newspaper covered the removal of a large painting captioned “Christ on the Water” from a student hall on the Academy campus.

The Leader news article entitled “Ban on Historic Painting Roils US Merchant Marine Academy” described how the then radical superintendent of the academy, Joanna Nunan, put a blanket over the iconic painting, which depicts a Jesus like figure extending his helping hands to merchant seamen on a lifeboat lost at sea.

The painting was done by Hunter Wood, a serviceman in the US Merchant Marine who fought in WWII.  The painting hung at the Academy for nearly 80 years, and was a source of inspiration and comfort for generations of students and merchant mariners.

But having a depiction of Jesus was a problem for Nunan - and for the entire Biden administration. One more example of how a small radical fraction in American politics forced its ideology upon unwilling Americans. Any depiction of traditional religious faith – even truthful depictions of religious Americans facing imminent death – was now taboo.

Not only did Nunan and her boss - then-US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg - order that the painting be covered up by a blanket, but the painting was then taped over in wrapping, removed from the wall, and put in the basement. To be buried forever.

During his April visit to the Merchant Marine Academy, Secretary Duffy turned that policy upside down - and the world back right side up.

After speaking to the assembled cadets, at the very end of his speech, Duffy paused, smiled and added:  “Let’s bring Him up!”

The cadets roared, and the cheers went on full a full 30 seconds.

Duffy tried to continue, but he was drowned out. The cadets wouldn’t stop. The world was becoming normal again. And the painting was restored to its historic place on the wall.