Forgotten merchant mariners
Posted by Ron Carlson on October 7, 2009, 1:23 pm
World War II-era merchant mariners won their long struggle for official recognition as veterans only in 1988. Among them were several thousand merchant sailors who served on ocean-going tugs and barges, especially along the East Coast of the United States, transporting critical cargoes to factories and refineries. While they did not cross the seas as did many of their fellow merchant mariners and Armed Guard colleagues, these men nonetheless found themselves in harm's way, sometimes being attacked and sunk by German U-boats. Many died. Now the few remaining survivors of these tug and barge crews find that they often cannot establish their eligibility for veteran status, through no fault of their own. Documentation that would verify their service was not maintained in the first place, or was lost or destroyed many years ago. Don Horton, whose brother was one of those who died when his tug was sunk in 1942, is trying to rectify this situation. If you share his concern, contact Don at jdonhorton@embarqmail.com for further information and to learn how you can help. Ron Carlson, Webmaster
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