Posted on 03/06/2005 8:29:04 AM PST by MrsEmmaPeel
My father, now in his 80s served in WWII as a merchant marine. He sent me the following letter. I quote:
You may not be aware that Merchant Mariners were not awarded any GI benefits at war end; no educational tuition, no housing purchase assistance, none of those benefits given to Coast Guard, Army, Navy nor Marine Corps service veterans. Nonetheless, the United States Merchant Marine provided the essential sealift between the production of military needs in the US and the fighting forces scattered around the globe. Sailing on oil tankers as I did, demonstrated the important link between the crude oil of Venezuela and the refineries in Curacao and Aruba to the Pacific Naval fleet.
As the war progressed, the prewar total of 55,000 experienced mariners was increased to over 215,000 through U.S. Maritime Service training programs. About 8,300 mariners were killed at sea, 12,000 wounded of whom at least 1,100 died from their wounds, and 663 were taken prisoner. (Total killed estimated 9,300.) 66 died in prison camps or aboard Japanese ships while being transported to other camps. 31 ships vanished without a trace to a watery grave. 1 in 26 mariners serving aboard merchant ships in World WW II died in the line of duty, suffering a greater percentage of war-related deaths than all other U.S. services. Casualties were kept secret during the War to keep information about their success from the enemy and to attract and keep mariners at sea. Newspapers carried essentially the same story each week: "Two medium-sized Allied ships sunk in the Atlantic." In reality, the average for 1942 was 33 Allied ships sunk each week. Although President Roosevelt expressed a desire to recognize Merchant Mariners as military personnel, his untimely death and the secrecy and misdirection about maritime transport activity may explain the lack of recognition of our efforts at the time.
Please write to you congressmen and Senators urging them to support the Bill."
I think I will make a seperate post with the link to contacting the Congressmen and women.
My great-grandfather was a merchant marine and had his ship sunk by a German U-boat.
My grandfather was also a merchant marine and participated in D-Day by crewing on one of the "concrete ships" that were made in England and taken across the channel to be sunk as breakwaters for the invasion forces. The ship next to his blew up early with no survivors.
Both men lived to see grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
My Dad was MM, had one of his ships hit and sunk by a kamakaze , I think it was a Leyte Gulf. This recognition, which my father wouldn't have given a fig about anyway, will be coming posthumously for most of those guys.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!
Oh, I know. How long did it take for a WWWII monument?
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BTT
At our website, Portraits of FREEDOM, we state: "Honoring the men and women of our Armed Forces and Merchant Marine, past and present. Heroes ALL." There is a separate listing for those who wish to honor their relatives or friends who have served in the U.S.M.M. with a page.
At VetsCoR, we SALUTE the service and SACRIFICE of the U.S. Merchant Marine members who have gone into harms way, usually unarmed and unable to shoot back when fired upon, to keep the the front line troops supplied with "beans and bullets".
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"The Era of Osama lasted about an hour, from the time the first plane hit the tower to the moment the General Militia of Flight 93 reported for duty." 
Toward FREEDOM
What a great story!
What a great web site! Can your site urge the passage of HR23?
BTT
BTT
This is such a great cause! Count me in!
BUMPED along, with thanks..
And thanks to you, too!
I just wrote my Congressman!
it's a very worthwhile cause, but I must admit I'd find it impossible to refuse anyone anything who brings to mind the image of Diana Rigg in a skin tight, all leather outfit..(sigh)...the ultimate fantasy of my wayward youth..
Many, many thanks! Others can do it too!
| click here |
LOL!
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