Veterans Day Roll Call 2016 | Page 2 | The Boneyard

Veterans Day Roll Call 2016

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USAF 1967-1973 913 TAG
 

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Just a little extra information for those who appreciate history, my father, like many others went down to enlist in the US Navy on December 8th, 1941. When he got there, it was so mobbed that the Navy recruiters could not handle the volume. The recruiters handed out rushed cards with a date on it for each person to return. My father got December 17th, 1941. He returned signed up and was given a train ticket for January 2, 1942. That began his adventure. They were the greatest generation.
 
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Just had a thought - and a question - my uncle was in the merchant marine from 1940 - 1946, and in some ways that was as brave as you could get - heading into harms way almost unarmed and as prime targets in generally pretty slow moving boats. He survived, but the losses were terrible in that service, especially in the atlantic. I have visited the memorial in London, don't know where the one in the US is, but when we celebrate veterans, do any of you reflect on those 'veterans' of the merchant marine that might as well have been in one of the military services for the risks they took? Obviously that was a 'special situation' that hasn't been repeated as there has been very little naval warfare since and except of very isolated instances none against non-combatant shipping (unless you count piracy.)
Anyone else with connections to WW2 merchant marine?
 
I count 7 members whose service began in the 50's, that puts them in their 80's.
And 20-odd whose service, like mine was in the 60's. that puts them in their 70's.

i never quite considered that the composition of the board (fandom) is quite so replete with seniors.
 
msf22b said:
I count 7 members whose service began in the 50's, that puts them in their 80's.
And 20-odd whose service, like mine was in the 60's. that puts them in their 70's.

i never quite considered that the composition of the board (fandom) is quite so replete with seniors.
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Really, just a bunch of (us) old farts. ;)
 
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UcMiami said:
Just had a thought - and a question - my uncle was in the merchant marine from 1940 - 1946, and in some ways that was as brave as you could get - heading into harms way almost unarmed and as prime targets in generally pretty slow moving boats. He survived, but the losses were terrible in that service, especially in the atlantic. I have visited the memorial in London, don't know where the one in the US is, but when we celebrate veterans, do any of you reflect on those 'veterans' of the merchant marine that might as well have been in one of the military services for the risks they took? Obviously that was a 'special situation' that hasn't been repeated as there has been very little naval warfare since and except of very isolated instances none against non-combatant shipping (unless you count piracy.)
Anyone else with connections to WW2 merchant marine?
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Google American Merchant Marine memorial.
 
vtcwbuff said:
Google American Merchant Marine memorial.
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Thanks - sometimes I can be pretty stupid!
The United States Merchant Mariner suffered more casualties than any other American service during World War II, 1 of every 26 mariners would not return home. Facing submarines, mines, armed raiders, destroyers, aircraft, “kamikaze,” and the elements. About 8,300 mariners were killed at sea, 12,000 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. Sixty-six died in prison camps or aboard Japanese ships while being transported to other camps. Thirty-one American merchant ships vanished without a trace to a watery grave.
American Merchant Marine memorial
 
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