Our Blog
We know it’s important for our members to stay in the loop, so we endeavor to update our American Merchant Marine Veterans blog frequently. Give our current articles and journal entries a read!
Our Inspiration
Every single one of our members has a story to tell. We’re never hard pressed for an idea when faced with the stories, memories, trials, and tribulations our seamen share. Tales of triumph, tales of sorrow, funny anecdotes—we want to hear them all. We want to tell your story!
But our writing won’t stop there. We would feel lost and disconnected today without coverage of our many events. Our hope is to chronicle every memorial, every overdue honor, and every spirited gathering our members participate in. Relevant current events won’t stay to the wayside either—we’ll keep you up to date on legislation efforts and other news pertinent to our organization in general.
In short, we’re quite lucky to have such a plethora of muses. Our inspiration for maintaining this blog will always be you: our beloved family of Veterans. Our history drives our service, and our members drive our memories.
Our Articles
AMMV supports efforts of the Battle of Atlantic Memorial
The Battle of the Atlantic Memorial (BOAM) is a United Kingdom fundraising campaign to build a national memorial to the Battle of the Atlantic on Liverpool’s waterfront. The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest campaign of WWII, which saw 3,500 merchant ships and 175 warships lost, featured 100 convoy battles, and covered 3,000 square miles.
“Storm the Hill” gang to reunite for 2018 efforts
On the week of National Maritime Day 2017, a crew led by Past AMMV President Morris Harvey visited Congress and attended a ceremony at the Department of Transportation building. These “Storm the Hill” efforts were designed to educate members of Congress in the importance of passing H.R. 154: The Honoring Our WWII Merchant Mariners Act of 2017, introduced by Congressman Al Green of Texas.
A case to support H.R. 154: The true story of WWII Merchant Mariner Leonard Blake
Leonard Row was just a 15-year old boy when he was turned away by a U.S. Navy recruiter because of his age. However, he was advised that the Maritime Service would happily accept him. Leonard then signed-up to train at the Catalina Island facility, which prepped young men to crew the merchant vessels that carried food, ammunitions, and other vital supplies to Allied forces worldwide.
Will U.S. Merchant Mariners who served in support of the Korean Conflict obtain Veteran status?
AMMV Government Affairs Co-Chair Michael Helbig has been working diligently for over two full years on compiling a group application to submit to the Civilian/Military Service Review Board (C/MSRB) with the end goal of obtaining Veteran status for American Merchant Mariners who served in support of the Korean Conflict.
Glenn Gracey, USMM WWII
Glenn Gracey is a World War II Veteran of the United States Merchant Marine and attends Life Senior Services Day Center in Broken Arrow.
JONES ACT – THE SHOT ACROSS THE BOW
The following article, posted by the Associated Press is a warning that there (however, well meaning) are dangerous elements in our country who work to undermine our national security. In addition, there were some political interests who aggressively and shamelessly capitalized on the Puerto Rican crisis and the desperation of the island’s leaders and residents. This seeded media coverage and political debate with a fraudulent narrative that the Jones Act was to blame for essential supplies not reaching the people who needed them most.
Congressional hearing injects the facts about the Jones Act and Puerto Rico into Capitol Hill
In a hearing convened October 3 by the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation in the House of Representatives, the facts about the Jones Act and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the beneficial role the crucial American cabotage law is serving in the devastated island’s recovery from Hurricane Maria, were placed in the public record and injected into the roiling debate in Congress.
Truth blunts storm of inaccurate Jones Act coverage
In what may have been the most publicly played Jones Act controversy ever, the venerable domestic shipping law was the lead in nationwide news coverage for much of the last week in September. The subject was the Jones Act factor in the official response to the catastrophic impact of Hurricane Maria on Puerto Rico – the storm, which hit the U.S. territory as a Cat 5, dumped stunning, unprecedented misery and ruin on the island.
POW/MIA DAY
“America has long stood tall as a beacon of freedom thanks to the women and men of our Armed Forces who safeguard our country and our ideals with courage, honor, and selflessness. While our heroes and their families continue to give of themselves for us all, we must recognize the unthinkable pain that remains with the loved ones of those who have not returned home.” Presidential Proclamation. The White House September 18, 2015.
Stories of the Sea by David C. Holmes
“One thing that stands out in my memory at the U. S. Merchant Marine Academy in October of 1942 was a close friendship formed, namely Norman Vail of Tea Neck, N. J. Norman’s father was an alleged executive with Standard Oil Company, and Norm made it very clear to me that his dad “had influence” when it came to being assigned to ships in late November…”