Eric Shine, received a Congressional and Presidential appointment and Commission to serve as an Officer in the valid Federal Service of the United States Merchant Marine.
This honor was conferred on Mr. Shine in 1991 by none other than Vice President Dan Quayle at the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York on Long Island in 1991.
Kings Point is a sister academy to the other four Federal Academies of West Point, Annapolis, the Air Force and US Coast Guard Academies.
President George HW Bush [King George I] was supposed to preside over the graduation but, would not make the trip to this Federal Academy himself for some odd reason. The reason for this has become much more clear as time has passed on.