I fully agree with all your comments except the last one. It does matter that those who served in the Armed Guard and Merchant Marines were "under-recognized". As you know, my father served in the Armed Guard throughout the war. Yet, I never heard of the Armed guard until 3 or 4 years ago (I am now 55)!
There are many like me, who have relatives who served, yet know nothing about it. Ignorance perhaps is the biggest hindrance to the well deserved recognition. That's one of the reasons that I devote so much of my free time to transcribing and posting historical documents that detail the role of the Armed Guard and Merchant Marines. In my own small way, I like to feel that i am helping to educate and preserve the history.
There are those of us who were not alive during the war, but are equally proud to say that our fathers, grandfathers, uncles, etc. served their country in this way (I'm sure that many of my friends tire of the endless "bragging" about the exploits of the convoy sailors). As long as we keep the memories alive, the pride remains.
Don't ever give up that positive attitude! It's directly responsible for the favorable results of that long ago struggle.
Even if the Government doesn't give you the recognition that you all deserve, those of us who took the time to learn will always have a special place for you in our hearts.
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