[Eagle Eye]

Pardon my ignorance, but were the Merchant Marines drafted, enlisted, or civilain workers in a military environment?

[MrsEmmaPeel]

Dad tried to enlist in the Navy and was turned down - color blindness (he's very badly green/red impaired). The merchant marines were right there, so after the Navy said: "No", the Merchants said: "Yes" (they really bent the rules to get him in). He was just a kid if 18 at the time.