During the war, the Merchant Marine was under the control of the War Shipping Administration. Sailors were recruited by the federal government and trained at government camps and uniformed by it as well.
Between 1940 and 1946, some 250,000 served in the Merchant Marine and it is estimated (in 2012) that fewer than 6,000 were still alive.
Membership in the Mon Valley Chapter of the American Merchant Marine Veterans of World War II has shrunk from 76 a few years ago to 29 in 2012. Most of them are in their 80s and 90s.
--GreGen
The USS North Carolina (BB-55) My all-time favorite warship. As an elementary school student in North Carolina, I donated nickels and dimes to save this ship back in the early sixties.
No comments:
Post a Comment