On the morning of Jan. 22, 2024, Elmer De León Pérez descended deep into the bowels of a ship that he was helping to build in Houma, Louisiana. Pérez was a welder, working to construct one of the U.S.
The war in Iran is highlighting the importance of ships – not just warships but cargo vessels – like those carrying oil or gas trapped near the Strait of Hormuz. But American shipbuilding is in ...