S2:E143 | Frank Rivera | Riverlorian

Recorded on June 23, another New Yorker joins me on the show whose father was a longshoreman on Staten Island. Frank Rivera found himself in boot camp for his 18th birthday looking to become a United States Marine, two decades later he'd become Watchman and Riverlorian on the AMERICAN QUEEN, and is now driving delivery trucks in his semi-retirement. He joins me to discuss his early life in a northeast fishing town, his adventures in the Marine Corps that began in the late 80s, and he talks us through 20 years of service in the US Military, his introduction to the passenger vessel industry, some challenges he faced in the meantime, and his life as a part of the mighty AMERICAN QUEEN's rich and fabled history. As her Riverlorian, he researched, trained, and lectured about the lore and history that so defined the memory of that ill-fated and much-loved vessel.