Merchant Marine featured prominently at American Veterans Center Annual Conference

(L to R): Capt. Chris Edyvean (AMMV National Secretary), two Naval Academy Cadets, Capt. Jack Menendez (AMMV National Vice President), Capt. Darin Huggins (AMMV National President)

WWII mariner Dave Yoho kicks off the American Valor conference

(L to R): Dominick Critelli, Rev. Dr. Arlester Brown, Colonel Robert Patrick (Moderator), Bill Balabanow, Milton Ripple

The first panel of the day, titled The Greatest Generation: Americans in World War II, included Bill Balabanow, who not only sailed during WWII, but completed a total of 33 years as a Radio Operator in the Merchant Marine. The panel moderator pointed out that Balabanow’s service spanned three wars, which prompted a round of applause from the crowd. During the panel discussion, Bill described the long wait for veteran status for WWII mariners. He also recalled dealing with sea sickness, of which another panelist from the Navy joked that he never got seasick, which drew some giggles from the audience. When the panelists were asked what drew them into service and what they did after, Rev. Dr. Arlester Brown stated that provisions of the GI Bill were not immediately known to African Americans, but in his case, he remained persistent to learn the details of these benefits. It is also worth mentioning that 103-year-old panelist, Dominic Critelli, still plays the saxophone in his own band!

World War II: Victory, 80 Years Later was the second panel of the morning. Memories shared by panelists included fighting with bazookas, Sherman tanks, and howitzer cannons, driving trucks, handling POWs, and combat from foxholes. One veteran lost his hand in combat but never wanted to speak of his experiences. He said, “I don’t want to be a hero. We lost all the heroes over there.”

World War II: Victory, 80 Years Later: WWII veteran panelists & moderator Tyler Boland (center)

The third panel, also WWII, was titled The Allied Front. This was by far the most emotional panel of the day, with WWII veterans sharing unique stories, some tragic and some victorious. One panelist described how he officiated the surrender of a group of German troops. Another painfully recalled how his buddy, who believed he would be killed the next day, asked him to explain to his parents what happened. The veteran reluctantly agreed. His buddy was in fact killed in the battle, and the veteran not only kept his promise, but continued to visit his buddy’s gravesite for many years. 

Some of the veterans were involved in camp liberations.  One helped liberate a POW camp in 1945 that held British, Canadian, and New Zealanders who had been imprisoned since 1941, while another graphically described the scene of stumbling upon a Nazi concentration camp. The Germans had fled the camp, and the people found there were either deceased or in various levels of physical deterioration. The panelist firmly stated how infuriated he and his fellow troops were with what they saw.  The most emotional moment of the conference was when he described how one of the camp’s prisoners kissed his feet in gratitude for being liberated.

Panelists: Special Operations Forces: The U.S. Navy SEALS

The next panel was Special Operations: The U.S. Navy SEALS, which focused on civil advice rather than hardened war stories. One panelist discussed socialism and Naziism, calling out U.S. political parties for often attacking each other of such, but he stressed that such accusations are absolutely false.  In contrast to his experiences in countries that actually have authoritarian systems, he emphasized “America is a place where you can have different views without fear. You have more in common with your neighbor across the political aisle than you do with the billionaires that are trying to destroy our country.”  Another thread of this panel addressed the various service academy cadets in the audience, stating that they are the leaders of the future.

Chosin/Hungnam panelists (L to R): Chan Mo Ku (translator), Sohn Yang-Yong (aka Kimchi 1), Richard Carter, Burley Smith, Johnny Johnson, Major Geoff Ball (moderator)

The final panel to include the Merchant Marine was titled, “The Chosin Few: The Epic Battle of Chosin Reservoir & The Christmas Miracle at Hungnam.” The story of the battle at the Chosin Reservoir was told, with vivid descriptions of the brutal winter weather. Facing incredible odds, survival seemed unlikely. However, intense heavy snowfall provided cover for U.S. troops, as the enemy believed the escaping men were some of their own.

Burley Smith recalled his journey in the U.S. Merchant Marine and how he came to be part of the Meredith Victory crew during this time frame. He told the story of how the ship was directed to carry refugees, and of Captain LaRue’s decision to take aboard as many human lives as would possibly fit on the vessel, with 14,000 as only a rough count. All refugees safely disembarked a few days later, with five babies born along the way. Nicknamed “Kimchi 1,” Sohn Yang-Yong was the first of the five to be born on the Meredith Victory. Via his translator, he offered comments and conveyed his appreciation.

There were two final panels to complete the day’s conference. One was made up of Vietnam veterans, and the final panel highlighted the service of women on the home front as “Rosie the Riveters.”

To close the evening, the AMMV members attended a wonderful reception at the Royal Norwegian Embassy. Many of the AMMV crew also attended other portions of the multi-day AVC convention.

Ross Rowlinson captures the conference

Second from left: Sohn Yang-Young, aka “Kimchi 1”, one of five babies born on the SS Meredith Victory after it departed Hungnam with 14,000 refugees