Wreck clearance in the Suez Canal

In an abrupt political turn westward, President Anwar el Sadat of the Arab Republic of Egypt, accepted the offer of the United States Government to assist in reopening the Suez Canal closed since 1967. The task of clearing the ten blockading wrecks was assigned by the U.S. Navy to the Murphy Pacific Marine Salvage Company. Pitting its preeminent expertise in the field of marine salvage against a background of conducting operations 6,000 miles distant in a war ravaged zone, the firm by judicious planning, scheduling and supervision cleared the Suez Canal of the ten wrecks ahead of schedule, within budget and without a single serious casualty.