The National Museum of the Surface Navy at the Battleship IOWA, the museum for America’s Surface Navy located aboard the historic Battleship USS Iowa Museum, today announced Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti will be honored with the Freedom of the Seas Humanitarian Award at the inaugural Freedom of the Seas Awards Gala on Saturday, October 23, 2021. 

Mayor Garcetti is being recognized for his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, which included bringing the hospital ship, USNS Mercy, to the Port of Los Angeles, deploying California National Guard troops to area hospitals, and the establishing a field hospital at the L.A. Convention Center, to provide critical medical support throughout the region. Coordinating the use of military assets and personnel through the Defense Support of Civil Authorities (DSCA) program, Mayor Garcetti ensured the ability to meet the needs of citizens across the Los Angeles region through the height of the COVID-19 surge.  In addition, Mayor Garcetti led his team in support of the LovLA program, a program created and managed by the Port of Los Angeles that is designed to protect critical workers by connecting organizations in need of personal protective equipment (PPE) with available supplies of PPE.