Do you remember 'Uncle Jesse' (Denver Pyle) from the TV show The Dukes of Hazzard? Question: What does he and Carroll O'Connor (Archie Bunker on All In The Family), renowned Olympian Jim Thorpe and iconic beatnik Jack Kerouac have in common? The answer: all of them served as United States Merchant Mariners..
On Memorial Day in the United States this year (25 May), Americans will rightly pay respect to all who have served to defend the nation and promote democracy around the world. While images of marine landings, army troop movements, naval battles and air force raids will fill thoughts and conversations across the country, the brave sacrifices of the men and women of the United States Merchant Marine will unfortunately receive little attention.
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Although privateers acting to run supplies, arms and/or passengers over contested waters have moulded the nation's history since its 'discovery' by Europeans more than 500 years ago, the Merchant Marine only began to take formal shape after passage of the Jones Act in 1920. One of the stipulations of the legislation, mandating that the hybrid fleet of government and privately chartered ships be American owned and operated, was repeated in the more expansive Merchant Marine Act of 1936. Sensing a need to enhance the protection of American trade vessels from potential attacks by threatening nations (i.e. Germany and Japan), Franklin Roosevelt, a former Assistant Secretary of the Navy, wisely reorganized the Merchant Marine.
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After the brazen Pearl Harbor attack on 7 December 1941, the Merchant Marine became a fully instrumental component of Allied support during the terrible Second World War. Behind the D-Day landings on the beaches of Normandy (6 June 1944), hundreds of US Merchant Marine ships straddled off the coast containing the equipment needed to secure victory over Nazi Germany. On the other side of the world, the Merchant Marine crossed the Pacific Ocean to supply the Army and the Marines in their struggle against the Japanese Empire. At the conclusion of the war, more than 8,000 merchant mariners had been killed in action.
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Forty-three years later, in 1988, President Reagan awarded members of the Merchant Marine 'veteran status'. It was long overdue. While the Merchant Marine remains an auxiliary force to the Navy except as needed in wartime, the contributions of merchant mariners are no less significant than any other branch of service.
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On this Memorial Day, Americans should pay tribute to the dedicated citizens that comprise the United States Merchant Marine and the cadets at the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York. Due to their sacrifices and duty with honor, the world is a better and safer place.
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(Picture: The United States Merchant Marine Academy Seal)
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J Roquen