“Lord, bless them on this mission and keep them safe.”

The Rev. Terry W. White of Bowmar Baptist Church spoke to about 150 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employees Monday at the Port of Vicksburg during a first-ever blessing of a fleet of mat sinking unit vessels setting out for a season of work on the Mississippi.

“I can’t really bless anybody,” White said. “Only God can do that, but Lord, I thank you for these men and women during the tough, difficult and sometimes dangerous times. I pray you will keep them safe and allow them to accomplish the mission they set out to do,” White prayed.

Dennis O. Norris, chief of the operations division, said the idea for a formal, starting prayer came from other districts.

“We just decided a blessing would be a good idea,” he said. “We have a great safety record, and hopefully we can keep it up.”

About 350 employees work on the unit from August to November, traveling up and down the river on barges that provide sleeping, dining and work areas. Crews engage in a variety of projects, mostly placing concrete revetment mattresses to halt erosion and help maintain the river channel.

Norris said the last death or serious time-lost injury on the mat sinking unit was in 2003. The Vicksburg District’s work stretches from Illinois down to the coast of Louisiana.

Five vessels of the fleet were lined up in the harbor – three towboats and two tenders.

“This is the first time in my 24 years here at the Vicksburg District to see all the vessels in the fleet lined up with their crews,” Norris told the crowd.

The vessels – Jadwin, Benyaurd, Lipscomb, Harrison and Wales – all sounded off with three toots of their horns.

Col. Anthony C. Vesay, commander with the Vicksburg District, told crew members he was proud of them.

“You represent the country and the Corps of Engineers as you go out around the nation and do good work. I ask that you take care of each other and use the buddy system to look out for each other,” Vesay said.

The blessing of the fleet is a centuries-old tradition originating in southern European fishing communities. A blessing from a local priest was meant to ensure a safe and bountiful season. It was also intended to ensure safe passage and return for ships and sailors as well as protection from foul weather. The first recorded boat blessing was held in 325 A.D. in Portugal.