FReeper Canteen ~ National Maritime Day 2022 ~ 23 May 2022

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.

[left that other site]

Hi Everybody!

(((HUGS)))

[Kathy in Alaska]

~ National Maritime Day ~

FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT

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

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We are indebted to you for your sacrifices for our Freedom.

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[radu]

Greetings to all at the Canteen!

To all our military men and women, past and present,

[radu]

Howdy, Kathy.

Did you have a little more “you” time today before knuckling down to get ready for the work week?

[blueunicorn6]

I had an uncle who was in the Merchant Marine in WWII.

That was a really dangerous job.

One of the little known blunders of that war was the number of merchant ships sunk off the East Coast and in the Gulf of Mexico by a few German submarines.

[The Mayor]

Our Daily Bread

Monday,
May 23, 2022

In the End

Read: 2 Timothy 4:6–8

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7

I’m often given the privilege of leading spiritual retreats. Getting away for a few days to pray and reflect can be deeply enriching, and during the program I sometimes ask participants to do an exercise: “Imagine your life is over and your obituary is published in the paper. What would you like it to say?” Some attendees change their life’s priorities as a result, aiming to finish their lives well.

Second Timothy 4 contains the last known written words of the apostle Paul. Though probably only in his sixties, and though having faced death before, he senses his life is nearly over (2 Timothy 4:6). There will be no more mission trips now or writing letters to his churches. He looks back over his life and says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (v. 7). While he hasn’t been perfect (1 Timothy 1:15–16), Paul assesses his life on how true he’s stayed to God and the gospel. Tradition suggests he was martyred soon after.

Contemplating our final days has a way of clarifying what matters now. Paul’s words can be a good model to follow. Fight the good fight. Finish the race. Keep the faith. Because in the end what will matter is that we’ve stayed true to God and His ways as He provides what we need to live, fight life’s spiritual battles, and finish well. — Sheridan Voysey

Imagine your life is over and your obituary is published. What would you like it to say? What changes might you make now to “finish the race” well?

Father God, strengthen me to live faithfully for You, right to the end.

Bible in a year: 1 Chronicles 19–21; John 8:1–27

[The Mayor]

Our Daily Bread

Monday,
May 23, 2022

In the End

Read: 2 Timothy 4:6–8

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7

I’m often given the privilege of leading spiritual retreats. Getting away for a few days to pray and reflect can be deeply enriching, and during the program I sometimes ask participants to do an exercise: “Imagine your life is over and your obituary is published in the paper. What would you like it to say?” Some attendees change their life’s priorities as a result, aiming to finish their lives well.

Second Timothy 4 contains the last known written words of the apostle Paul. Though probably only in his sixties, and though having faced death before, he senses his life is nearly over (2 Timothy 4:6). There will be no more mission trips now or writing letters to his churches. He looks back over his life and says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (v. 7). While he hasn’t been perfect (1 Timothy 1:15–16), Paul assesses his life on how true he’s stayed to God and the gospel. Tradition suggests he was martyred soon after.

Contemplating our final days has a way of clarifying what matters now. Paul’s words can be a good model to follow. Fight the good fight. Finish the race. Keep the faith. Because in the end what will matter is that we’ve stayed true to God and His ways as He provides what we need to live, fight life’s spiritual battles, and finish well. — Sheridan Voysey

Imagine your life is over and your obituary is published. What would you like it to say? What changes might you make now to “finish the race” well?

Father God, strengthen me to live faithfully for You, right to the end.

Bible in a year: 1 Chronicles 19–21; John 8:1–27

[The Mayor]

Sorry for DBL post computer is acting up

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, ML...((HUGS))...feeling good enough for lessons this week? Plenty of rest this weekend?

I bet Tippy is ready to get going again.

[Maine Mariner]

Thank you for your post and the recognition of past and present merchant mariners!

There is a granite memorial at the Maine Maritime Academy with a list of the Maine merchant mariners lost at sea during WWII. Mr. Frank Yeager, a merchant mariner during WWII, was one of the first American Legion Post Commanders after the mariners were given veterans status. Mr. Yeager was the driving force behind the establishment of that memorial.

[Maine Mariner]

You should be very proud of your uncle’s service during WWII.

[blueunicorn6]

Thank you. I am.

[Maine Mariner]

I had a uncle by marriage who was on the run to Murmask.
Two ships were sunk under him and he and the crews went to the lifeboats both times and survived!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, radu...any sign of rain? I know your corn really needs it.

I’ve been dragging the hose and sprinkler around all day. A couple more drags to reposition and I will be done for the week. Someday we might get rain to do the watering.

The street sweeper came down our street and did a worthless job. They didn’t get within 2 feet of the gutters and just blew the stuff in the middle out to the sides.

[blueunicorn6]

I just watched a documentary about The Murmansk Run.

Wow.

I think they mentioned that some of the sailors were in the lifeboats twice.

The freezing ships. The bombing. The U-Boats.

Those were some tough guys.

[Jet Jaguar]

I appreciate his service to our nation. Thanks for sharing.

[Maine Mariner]

Where was the documentary? It is a must watch movie for me.

[radu]

We have rain falling right now. It just started a few minutes ago. It’s the same system that came through overnight being pushed back north by a big system that came up from the Gulf. Good chances for rain the next few days too. WOOHOO!
I swear the corn grew a few inches while I slept from the rain it got last night. This week will do it a lot of good.

And it’s cleaning the horrid dust out of the air so we can breathe again. It’s been a dustbowl here lately.

Now if we could just get some rain up to your area so you don’t have to keep watering your lawn.

It sounds like the street sweeper company is having a problem hiring good workers.

[blueunicorn6]

They’re all gone now.

My uncles who were in WWII.

I sure miss them.

I’ll write “You’re welcome” back from them.