Mass. Maritime Celebrates Captain's Release

People are celebrating the safe return of Capt. Richard Phillips across New England today.

At the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, the celebration is not for just a sailor, but for a graduate of the academy.

Capt. Jim Staples graduated with Richard Phillips from the Buzzards Bay school back in 1979. Staples says after what's taken place at sea, the nation knows exactly what kind of guy his classmate and friend is.

Staples also says the training they received here helped Phillips survive.

"The academy molded us to the type of people we are today," Staples says. "To go into an environment that we do, not only with the recent events in piracy, but also just the challenges of going to sea with weather and all the other things involved."

It's not clear exactly when Capt. Phillips and the crew of the Maersk Alabama, including Massachusetts Maritime graduate Shane Murphy, will be returning stateside.