"I stood up, I showed up, I stepped forward. I raised my right hand, I stood in the gap, I walked in the fire. I did not run, I did not hide, I did not dodge, I did not evade. Consequently... I have nothing to prove, no one to convince, those who matter, already know. Those who don't, never will."* -Author Unknown
Just wondering if the Merchant Marine is recognized, too. :confused5: After all, the Merchant Marine played a big part in WW II with what were called Q-boats, I think. Q-boats were merchant vessels outfitted with gun batteries to protect against submarine and air attacks, since most merchant vessels were unarmed and therefore, easy pickings.
My Uncle was a gunner on the 3" battery on the bow of a Merchant Marine ship during WWII. He was torpedoed once in all his trips across the pond. Most people don't know about the "Liberty Ship" program, but we couldn't have won the war in Europe without them. They were the first modular built ships assembled using welding rather than rivets. They actually completed one ship in less than 5 days! It's amazing what this great country can do when everyone is working toward the same goal.
I think the Merchant Marine, while, even though they are/were not classified as "Armed Forces", should be recognized as ones who served and continue to serve our nation. Thank you, very VERY much!
Q ships were manned by Navy personnel. During WWII, the Brits had nine and the Americans had five. They weren't as effective as they were in WWI. Liberty ships were armed, check out the Jeremiah O'Brien at the San Francisco Maritime Museum to see an unaltered example. Merchant Mariners suffered the highest rate of casualties of any service in WWII.
We have a Liberty Ship in Baltimore, I have been aboard her, featured tour of her engine room by one of the guys who helped bring her back to life. S.S. JOHN W. BROWN