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DULUTHPORT.COM | 7 "I tried to get about a dozen Chinese engineers, from 600 young Chinese men sent to the United S t a t e s t o s t u d y ve s s e l c o n s t r u c t i o n , to s t u d y o u r p r o d u c t i o n m e t h - ods—since we do all our construction in the yard," he said. "But they already had been allocated." Globe shuttered less than three months later. The company bought advertising space on behalf of its former employees calling them "one of the most able and dependable groups of men and women workers in America." Globe even offered to share personnel records and vouch for job seekers. "These men and women have proven individually and collectively that they are able and willing to cooperate with man- agement and each other to expedite the completion of any job assigned to them. We are sure they are ready to put the same loyalty, enthusiasm and efficiency into any job you may have for them." DIMINISHED DOMINANCE America's transition from wartime pro- duction to civilian commerce and glo- balization led to a massive decline in domestic merchant shipbuilding. The worldwide leader in 1945 now ranks out- side the global top 10 by gross tonnage. In a response to that decline, on April 9, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump issued Executive Order 14269, "Restor- ing America's Maritime Dominance." The order established a comprehensive federal policy to revitalize and rebuild domestic shipbuilding and the U.S. maritime work- force. It came almost 83 years to the day after U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9129. FDR's decree lacked the naming sizzle, but its purpose forms a parallel with the Trump order, aiming to mobilize and expand U.S. ship- building and maritime might in response to national security imperatives. Some of today's tactics are similar—e.g., federal subsidies, port infrastructure investment, workforce training—but the scale is smaller and America's industrial base is substantially diminished. Rising anew will be a mission for companies like Fraser Industries—Duluth- Superior's only remaining shipyard facility—which operates less than a quarter mile from where Magnus Hitch splashed into the Superior Front Channel. " H i s t o r y i s a v a l u a b l e teacher as we look to the future," said Patrick Kelly, chief executive officer of Fraser Industries. "Fraser S h i p y a r d s, L a k e A s s a u l t Boats and Northern Engi- neering continue to play a vital role in both commercial and military maritime opera- tions. We're always exploring opportunities for growth and diversification that create high-quality jobs, strengthen commercial industries, and support national security—all while maintaining our commitment to safety and environmental responsibility." On July 21, the U.S. Maritime Admin- istration named Fraser Shipyards as one of 17 facilities nationwide chosen to receive small shipyard grants aimed at bolstering infrastructure and workforce development. Hopes are growing throughout the port that a renewed focus on American mari- time capability could be a rising tide that lifts all boats. The Magnus Hitch launches into Superior Bay on Aug. 24, 1945. LEFT TO RIGHT: Chairman of the Wisconsin Industrial Commission Voyta Wrabetz; World War I veteran and Milwaukee banker Eliot Fitch; Magnus Hitch sponsor Janet Fitch, Eliot's daughter; Judy Abbott, friend of Janet; and assistant general manager of the Globe Shipbuilding Company, William C. Olson.