CHARLESTON, S.C. – A segment of the Charleston Harbor will be renamed after the late Rear Adm. Richard E. Bennis Jr. Tuesday at 11 a.m.
The renamed portion of Charleston Harbor will be called Bennis Reach, which was formerly known as the Shutes-Folly Reach. The grass roots effort to honor Bennis was led by Councilman Gary Santos, the port manager for Inchcape Shipping Services in Charleston, and included Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr., and Mount Pleasant Mayor Harry M. Hallman Jr.
“Bennis Reach, a planning and navigation tool for vessel movement, is a fitting remembrance for a man who dedicated his life to the service of others and stood tall in the midst of unthinkable tragedy,” said Santos. “He is remembered as the unsung hero of the 9/11 Lower Manhattan evacuations.”
During Bennis’s distinguished 30-year career in the Coast Guard, he served as captain of the port of Charleston and Norfolk, Va., and Commander of Activities in New York City, which are three of the largest container ports in the country.
Retired Adm. James Loy, Commandant of the Coast Guard on 9/11 and friend of Bennis, will offer remarks. He will be joined by U.S. Congressman Henry Brown, Mayor Harry M. Hallman, Jr., and other dignitaries.
