Merchant Marine Survivors Of World War Ii

World War II could not have been won without the U.S. Merchant Marine. Crewed by civilian seamen in peacetime and carrying much of the nation's ocean-borne commerce, the Merchant Marine became the "fourth arm of defense" in wartime, providing vital support for beachheads in all theaters of operation. Twenty World War II Merchant Marine veterans are featured in this oral history. Most had at least one ship torpedoed, bombed, shelled or mined out from under them--some of them two. Some became prisoners of the Japanese for the duration of the war, working on the infamous River Kwai Bridge. Many spent time on lifeboats or flimsy rafts under harsh conditions; one--Donald Zubrod--endured 42 days in a lifeboat with several others before their eventual rescue, close to death. American merchant mariners suffered a casualty rate that was a close second to the Marine Corps during the war.

A World War II merchant seaman, John Bunker takes a thorough look at the American merchant marines' significant contributions to the war effort. There are plenty of fascinating facts about their extensive supply operations, but the focus of the book is on the men and their often-heroic actions. Bunker draws from his own experiences to describe the action at sea and also includes the personal stories of many other civilian participants. It is an engaging portrayal of the courage, bravery, and ingenuity demonstrated by these merchant seamen. All theaters of operation using U.S. merchant ships are covered; in addition, Bunker provides information on events before the country entered the war when efforts were being made to build more ships and to recruit the men necessary to crew the huge fleet.

Thousands of cargo ships sailed in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters of World War II manned by young men who braved blockades, torpedoes, and bombings to deliver vital supplies to the Allied forces and make victory possible. These mariners have received little if any credit; they are the forgotten group of "the greatest generation." Merchant Mariners at War offers firsthand accounts of the wartime experiences of veterans who graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy--the largest supplier of ships' officers in WWII. Gathered over more than a decade at the academy in Kings Point, New York, the interviews offer a unique portrait of the young officers who delivered the vital war materiel and provide a valuable window into the world of the merchant marine during WWII. The stories often include startling accounts of privation and endurance. Their stories give voice to a new perspective on WWII maritime history. Chapters cover such subjects as Liberty ships, U-Boats, the Battle of the Atlantic, D-Day, the Philippines, the vast Pacific, and the Murmansk Run. Throughout the book, interesting anecdotes from the veterans enliven the narrative and add to its contribution to the historical record--heretofore non-existent.

A good number of Merchant Marine WW II combat veterans have poured out their memories in this book. They tell about what they did on their ships for their country to supply the needs of our fighting men and those of our allies all over the earth. We WW 2 Merchant Marines are all now in our upper 80's & 90's and dealing with medical problems. No one knows how many of us are still alive. Every day we hear that one or more of our WW II sailor comrades have "Crossed the Bar" (passed away). There have been more than 50 Merchant Marine wartime books written over the years since that war. This one may be the last and we will tell our story up to the present. Very few people have heard of these Merchant Mariners or the struggle to obtain recognition and benefits from two generations of forgetful Washington politicians. Ian Allison and this author were very close to that struggle and you can read about it here - unvarnished. We are very proud to have stories about Stanley Willner in Death's Railway and Perry Adam in Little Ships which were written by Gerald Reminick and published by the Glencannon Press, Mr. Walter Jafffe, Publisher, El Cerritto, CA. These gentlemen have wished us well with this book. The Forgotten Heroes, by the well-known author, Mr. Brian Herbert, is the third book we used for expertise on total information about the Merchant Marine. We met Mr. Herbert at the April 18, 2007 House Committee on VA Affairs. He spoke strongly about the treatment and neglect the country had given us. When his verbal time ran out, he continued with a five-page written testimony.This volume's publishing would not be possible without the collection of WW II Merchant Marine information provided by Captain Dave Swan of the St. Johns River Chapter of the AMMV from the Maritime Museum in Jacksonville, FL 32260. The subject of this book is not the U.S. in WW II. Those accounts almost never mention the Merchant Mariners. Our stories are told by these old men who were out there on every ocean before, during and after the US entered the war, 1940-1946. We most certainly acknowledge the contribution of their stories.

"The United States Merchant Marine provided the greatest sealift in history between the production army at home and the fighting forces scattered around the globe in World War II. The prewar total of 55,000 experienced mariners was increased to over 215,000 through U. S. Maritime Service training programs. Merchant ships faced danger from submarines, mines, armed raiders, and destroyers, aircraft (kamikaze), and the element. About 8,300 mariners were killed at sea, 12.00 wounded of whom at least, 1, 100 died from their wounds, and 663 men and women were taken prisoner. Some were blown to death, some incinerated, some drowned, some froze and some starved. Many died in prison camps or aboard Japanese ships while being transported to other camps. 31 ships vanished without a trace to a watery grave. ( Total killed estimated 9,300) "

This World War II US Merchant Marine memoir was written by Charles William Hoffman. This highly personal memoir of his days as a young man serving his country reflects the culture of that time. The US entry into WWII required immediate growth of US Merchant Marine capabilities. The Atlantic Ocean was a major strategic battle zone during WWII. The Merchant Marine participated in every landing operation by the US Marine Corps from Guadalcanal to Iwo Jima. It took 15 tons of suppliers to support one soldier for one year at the front. During 1945 alone, the Merchant Mariners delivered 17 million pounds of cargo every hour, including ammunition, airplanes, fuel, PT boats and amphibious craft, tanks, jeeps, trucks, medicines, locomotives and food. Mariners delivered the goods when and where needed in every war theater.Charles W. Hoffman served his country on seven ships, including a United Nations mercy mission and a highly dangerous ammunition ship. He was 1 of only 7 who survived from his original group of 51 young men who left St. Louis, Missouri to serve their country by delivering the goods to serve all warfighters.

An account of the tremendous losses suffered by the American Merchant Marine during the war, identifying those ships flying under the American flag (including Philippine vessels) that the Coast Guard and the Navy documented as receiving damage or being lost through some action of the enemy, as well as the attendant circumstances of their loss. Browning uses the Coast Guard's determination of a war casualty, rather than the Navy's Survivors Statements, to define the entries. Includes an appended listing of poorly documented losses, and a glossary. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR