2009 News
USNS Comfort Receives Keys to the City of La Union
On June 23, just one day after celebrating the 144th anniversary of existence, the Department of La Union, bestowed its highest decoration upon the USNS Comfort and its medical crew.
FMLN mayor of La Union, Dr. Osmar Ovidio Cruz, presented Commodore of Continuing Promise 2009, Captain Thomas Negus, the keys to the city of La Union. This is the very first time that the keys to the city were presented to an American representative.
Dr. Cruz thanked the representatives of the US for the mission that they are carrying out in La Union for what he called an ambassadorship of goodwill to the region. "On behalf of all Salvadorans, the people from la Union, we want to thank for including La Union in your humanitarian mission. Thank you friends and all the medical personnel for bringing back hope to all the people that have trusted their lives in your hands," he added.
Commodore Negus thanked the people of La Union on behalf of the entire crew of the USNS Comfort. "Our presence here in La Union is a demonstration of the commitment with our neighbors of the region," he said.
After receiving the keys of the city, Commodore Negus presented Mayor Cruz a thank you plaque for all the assistance received from the municipal government to carry out this important humanitarian mission.
Mayor Cruz also highlighted that the visit of the USNS Comfort will be remember as a historic even such as the visit of president elect Herbert Hoover in 1928, when he visited the region offering international cooperation.