FReeper Canteen ~ National Maritime Day (May 22nd) ~ 23 May 2016

Serving The Best Troops and Veterans In The World !! | The Canteen Crew

[Kathy in Alaska]

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~

~ National Maritime Day (May 22nd) ~

STEAMSHIP SAVANNAH - 1819

On May 22, 1819, the SS Savannah left its home port of Savannah, Georgia on its way to Liverpool, England. The ship "put to sea with steam and sails" and reached Liverpool in 29 days and four hours, becoming the first steamship to cross the Atlantic. While the steam engine performed faultlessly, it was not the only means of propulsion; historians have estimated that the Savannah was under sail 80% of the time. Nonetheless, it was an impressive achievement, one that signaled the beginning of the era of steam, and American technological leadership. The holiday was created by the United States Congress on May 20, 1933.

Canteen Mission Statement

Showing support and boosting the morale of
our military and our allies military
and family members of the above.
Honoring those who have served before.

UNITED STATES MERCHANT MARINE ACADEMY

The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), established in 1943, is operated by the Maritime Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The mission of the Academy, located on 82-waterfront acres 20 miles from New York City, is to educate and graduate officers and leaders of honor and integrity to serve in America's merchant marine, maritime and intermodal transportation industries, and the Armed Forces.

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US MERCHANT MARINE IN VIETNAM

In February 1951 the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) aircraft carrier Windham Bay, was the first large ship to navigate the Long Tam River since 1925. While the ship was docked at Saigon (French Indochina) 17 hand grenades were tossed at the ship by terrorists.

The Military Sea Transportation Service was established in 1949 to provide sea transportation to the military as a successor to the Army Transportation Service. MSTS operated a fleet of ships and had charter agreements with commercial shipping firms. MSTS was succeeded by Military Sealift Command.

In 1954, after the partitioning of Vietnam, MSTS evacuated Vietnamese refugees from North to South Vietnam. USNS Howze was one of many MSTS ships involved in "Passage to Freedom" bringing 300,000 refugees and 200,000 tons of Cargo from North Vietnam. [Your webmistress arrived in the United States in 1949 on the USAT General R. L. Howze as a refugee of World War II.]

The Military Sea Transportation Service had the job of bringing war supplies to Vietnam -- 10,000 miles from the Pacific coast. MSTS had four separate customers to serve: the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps. MSTS ships were staffed by "civilian" crews, but carried 95% of the supplies used by our Armed Forces in Vietnam including bombs and ammunition into combat zones under fire. Crew members were given Navy grades and rank identification in event of enemy capture. During Vietnam, MSTS first utilized roll-on/roll-off ships and container ships which speeded loading and unloading.

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US MERCHANT MARINE IN WORLD WAR II

One way to understand the Second World War is to appreciate the critical role of merchant shipping... the availability or non-availability of merchant shipping determined what the Allies could or could not do militarily.... when sinkings of Allied merchant vessels exceeded production, when slow turnarounds, convoy delays, roundabout routing, and long voyages taxed transport severely, or when the cross-Channel invasion planned for 1942 had to be postponed for many months for reasons which included insufficient shipping.

Had these ships not been produced, the war would have been in all likelihood prolonged many months, if not years. Some argue the Allies would have lost as there would not have existed the means to carry the personnel, supplies, and equipment needed by the combined Allies to defeat the Axis powers. [It took 7 to 15 tons of supplies to support one soldier for one year.] The U.S. wartime merchant fleet. . . constituted one of the most significant contributions made by any nation to the eventual winning of the Second World War.

In the final assessment, the huge US merchant fleet... provided critical logistical support to the war effort.

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In spite of their service and their sacrifices, merchant mariners were not accorded veterans' benefits, and for many years were excluded from celebrations of Veterans' Day, Memorial Day, and other days recognizing members of the Armed Forces. One merchant marine veteran who felt the exclusion very keenly was Walter Oates, who became Public Affairs Officer at the Maritime Administration. The Maritime Administration is the successor agency to the War Shipping Administration, which oversaw the shipbuilding and merchant marine operations in World War II. Mr. Oates was a wartime graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, the only one of the federal service academies to send its students into war before graduation. One hundred forty-two of those students were killed in the war, and one of them had been Mr. Oates's roommate.

In 1970, at the instigation of Mr. Oates, the Maritime Administration sponsored an observance of Maritime Day, a solemn ceremony honoring veterans of the merchant marine, and those who gave their lives in service to the United States. That observance has been held every year since then.

After a long court battle, merchant marine veterans were accorded some rights and privileges of veterans on January 19, 1988. Ten years after that, in 1998, in recognizing veterans from the Persian Gulf War, Congress included more rights and privileges for veterans of the merchant marine. The U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C., dedicated in 1987, integrates recognition of the U.S. Merchant Marine. At the dedication of the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., in 2004, Maritime Administrator William G. Schubert represented the merchant marine as chief of service.

Please remember that The Canteen is here to support
and entertain our troops and veterans and their families,
and is family friendly.

[ConorMacNessa]

Good evening, Radu!

*HUGS*

Lots of rain this weekend - no outdoor play at all.

"I am an American fighting man. I serve in the forces guarding our country and our way of life.
I am prepared to give my life in their defense."

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Mac...*HUGS*...did you and Mrs MacNessa sing well today? The Choir all in tune?

Still raining or did you get to go outside today?

[ConorMacNessa]

The Choir did quite well this morning, thanks! Mrs. Mac Nessa sang well this morning - my voice was in better shape this morning than it has been of late.

It rained most of the day - mor e heavily early this evening. No dirt time.

"I am an American fighting man. I serve in the forces guarding our country and our way of life.
I am prepared to give my life in their defense."

[radu]

Glad you’ve had a good weekend. Are y’all able to save the world from evil and chaos at Zach’s house or are you the only one with the game? :-)

Yeah, we went out again last night, though I wasn’t really up for it, and stayed out a little late.

Today was nice weather-wise though we’d prefer clouds and RAIN. LOL! But it was nice to see the sun and feel warmth after the crummy week we had. This week is forecast to be a toasty one.

The bummer is, though the sky’s cloudless it’s too hazy to see Mars and I was looking forward to dragging the telescope out for a bit.

[radu]

Well boo-hiss on all that rain. Why does it seem to hit on weekends, when you want to get outside, instead of during the week? One of Murphy’s Laws I guess. LOL

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Ms Feather...*hugs*...did spring finally come to stay?

Any birds yet?

We finally got a little rain; real rain, not just sprinkles.

LOTS of sirens outside....fire trucks!!

[ConorMacNessa]

Raymond Massey and Humphrey Bogart in "Action in the North Atlantic" - 1943

"I am an American fighting man. I serve in the forces guarding our country and our way of life.
I am prepared to give my life in their defense."

[Soaring Feather]

LOL

[Soaring Feather]

We had rain today, however it is lovely here everything is so new green.
HUGS

[SandRat]

[PROCON]

Hmm, so no rain in sight for the soy bean crop, huh?

Is this an off year for rain for you?

Do you have irrigation for the field?

[radu]

[radu]

No rain until MAYBE Wed. We’ll see if it holds up and reaches us or if it fizzles as it crosses I-65, which it’s been doing lately.

It’s an off year, that’s for sure. Normal for April is 4 inches and we only got 1.5 inch here. That’s about what we’ve gotten so far this month too. Not good.

No, no irrigation in the fields. We just hope for the rain to show up to do its job.

[Soaring Feather]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YwAz0tPXhAhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YwAz0tPXhA

Lyle Lovett with Asleep At The Wheel - Blues for Dixie

[Soaring Feather]

[radu]

It’s been nice to see things greening up around Sapsucker Pond when I check in on the birds. I’d say they, the wild critters, and all of y’all appreciate Spring finally showing up! :-)

[Soaring Feather]

Yes, thanks it really is lovely. Always smells so fresh and new after a spring rain.

[PROCON]

Oh, I meant to ask you since last night was the full moon.

How'd the kittehs do?

Rambunctious?

[mylife]

If I could go to Mars

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=lunar+sea&&view=detail&mid=47504E1EEFD1BBD7420947504E1EEFD1BBD74209&FORM=VRDGAR

[radu]

Indeed! Very invigorating when it rains and everything smells so fresh and green. I enjoy standing on the porch when it rains, taking deep breaths.
Now if it would just RAIN! LOL