Published: October 29, 2009 10:11 pm      

Country has obligation to honor its Merchant Marine veterans

The American Merchant Marine Veterans of World War II held their yearly Atlantic Region Convention recently in Bedford, Pa.. Merchant Marine Veterans from Pennsylvania and Maryland attended.

Among the national issues discussed at the convention was the present status of Senate Bill S-663, legislation that would belatedly compensate merchant seamen veterans of World War II for the GI benefits they never received for their recognized military service.

The Merchant Marine of World War II was an all volunteer service, some as young as 16, some as old as 70.

The Merchant Marine of World War II was the only service that was not segregated, some 10 percent of the 250,000 seamen were black. The Merchant Marine was the only service that had black officers crewing merchant ships.

Almost 800 ships were sunk and the Merchant Marine had the highest casualty rate of any service.

Companion legislation, HR 23, has passed the House of Representatives early this year. The Senate version, S-663, is being held in the Veteran’s Committee for reason no one understands.

Funding is to be provided from a discretionary fund of Congress, but some senators refuse to recognize the service of the few thousand remaining veterans.

As regional vice president, I said:

“We are so pleased that Senators Casey and Specter are among the 42 cosponsors of the legislation in the Senate. However, we have not been able to get a commitment from either of them that they will use their considerable influence to demand that the bill come out of committee for a vote. The bill must come out of committee.

“Pennsylvania is a great veteran state. Pennsylvania was one of the most heavily recruited states for merchant seamen, especially in 1945, as the United States began to prepare for the invasion of Japan. The terrible casualties of men and ships at the Saipan and Okinawa invasions were seen as a prelude of the expected blood bath when the Japanese homeland invasion began in November 1945.

“Our country has an obligation to recognize the remaining merchant seamen. It was President Roosevelt’s desire to include merchant seamen in those to receive GI benefits, but he died before his desire was accomplished. We hope all Pennsylvanians will ask Senators Casey and Specter to actively get more involved. We believe it is moral obligation of our country to remember and recognize all these merchant seamen.”

I reminded everyone that the Merchant Marine name is inscribed in stone, along with the other five services, in the World War Monument in Washington, D.C.

George K. Bathie

Altoona, Pa.