Captain John Arens

Captain John Arens was honored in 2012. He was also the Keynote Speaker that year at the SUNY Maritime Cultural Club Black History Month Dinner when the Scholarship Awards were presented.

Captain Arens served his country in several branches of the armed forces, from the Merchant Marine and Navy to the Army.

Throughout his career, Arens excelled in carrying out dangerous assignments with several elite units, mastering complex skills requiring intelligence and great physical stamina. For most servicemen, a career in one of these units would be an outstanding achievement, but Arens displayed a rare versatility over four decades of service.

He authored the book, A Military Mustang: The Extraordinary Life of Captain John W. Arens. Too young to join the Marines at 15, John persisted and began his career serving our country at 17 in the Merchant Marines until he was drafted into the U.S. Army. Follow him through 37 years of military service from an Army Ranger, to a paratrooper, to an Arctic diver trained by Navy Seals, to Captain of U.S. Naval Vessels. Truly a military mustang worth reading about.