LETTERS The Merchant Marine and World War II
Numbering among the approved were four WWII seamen's groups:
In reference to Roger Tilton's notice entitled "Belated Thank You to the Merchant Marine of World War II" (Sea H istory 111 , Summer 2005 , page 35), I must disagree with two of his statements. First, he wrote that "merchant mariners suffered a far higher mortality rate than members of the military services." Such an erroneous claim can only be m ade through statistical manipulation. Compilers of such extravagant claims disregard the total fo rce figure of those who were employed both at sea and within US waters during the entire period of the war. They also disregard the shoreside staffs of the many private shipping companies and the War Shipping Administration as well as what was a very large WSA mariner training organization. Conversely, sim ilar entities were all part of the Armed Forces uniformed total force and are included as part of the basis from which all Armed Forces combat casualties are computed. Yes, the US merchant mariner suffered high losses, bur not near to the extent of Mr. Tilton's claim. Second, he also mentioned the Seaman's Act of 1988. H is reference can give the reader the incorrect impression that the veterans benefits given to seamen in 1988 came about direcdy through legislation. More accurately, the benefits were bestowed through an administrative ruling of the Defense Department, which eleven years prior had been charged by Congress with administering the provisions of Public Law 95-202 tided, "The GI Bill Improvement Act of 1977." The Secretary of Defense subsequendy delegated the Secretary of the Air Force with creating a Review Board (DODD 1000.20) to judge applicant civilian groups under five qualifying criteria to determine whether the subject group had performed a wartime role "equivalent to active military duty." If so judged, rhe group would receive benefits as administered by the Veteran's Administration . The first applicant group, the Women's Air Service Pilots of WWII (WASPs) , was approved in 1977. To date, ninety-six groups have applied for veterans status under PL 95-202. Of that number the Review Board has approved twenty-nine.
• Army Quartermaster Corps, Henry Keswick Group, Corregidor 1942; • US Oceangoing Merchant Marine of WWII, together with the Army Transport Service (later Transportation Corps, Water Division) 7 December 1941-15 August 1945; • Civilian Crewmen of the US Coast and Geodetic Survey Who Served in Areas of Military Hazard; • Merchant Mariners, Blockships at Normandy.
SEA HISTORY 112, AUTUMN 2005
In the 1990s, two of the seamen's subgroups were addended by the addition of those who served on vessels operated overseas by the Army's Signal Corps, the Coast Artillery, the Corps of Engineers, and Army Air Force WWII; and also by the addition of crewmembers of the USCGS ships Oceanographer, Hydrographer, and Pathfinder. I was a primary participant in the PL 95-202 process, having served as an historical consultant to the attorney representing Oceangoing Merchant Marine of WWII. I was also the applicant author for the Army seamen group and for the US Coast and Geodetic Seamen group (as well as the follow-up addendums for those groups). The true and accurate story of the sacrifices and heroism of merchant mariners
and other civilian seamen during WWII are laurels enough and in no need of exaggeration. By diminishing the proportionately higher death losses of the Armed Forces, which Mr. Tilton has done, is not only unnecessary for what he is trying to accomplish, but it is also an embarrassment to many of us who his insert purports to represent. CHARLES DANA GIBSON
Camden, Maine
Japanese Battleship, Mikasa Mark Lander (Sea History 111, Summer 2005) is correct in his call for more precision in use of the term "battleship." Like most nautical terms, the word has a very precise meaning, and USS DesMoines does not fit in that category. Lander's characterization of the vessel "ostensibly" a battleship, is somewhat less correct. The vessel in question is Mikasa, flagship of Admiral Heihachiro Togo at the Battle ofTsushima in 1905. In that batde, Togo crushed a Russian Beet, announcing Japan's presence as a world power. Mikasa measured 415 feet on the waterline, displaced 15, 140 tons, and carried four 12-inch guns as main armament. She was built in the UK by Vickers and was widely regarded as a state-of-the-art battleship upon her launch. By way of comparison, the roughly contemporary USS Illinois
Join Us for a Voyage into History Our seafarin g heritage co mes alive in the pages of Sea History, from the ancient ma riners of Greece to Portuguese navigators opening up the ocean world to the heroic efforts of sailors in this century's conflicts. Each issue brings new insights a nd discoveries. If you love the sea, ri vers, la kes,
and bays-if you a ppreciate the legacy of those who sail in deep water and their workada y craft, then you belong with us.
Join Today ! Mail in the form below, phone 1800221-NMHS (6647), or visit us at: www.seahistory.org e-mail: nmhs@seahistory.org
Yes, I want co jo in the Sociery and receive Sea History quarterly. My co ntribution is enclosed. ($ 17.50 is for Sea History; any amount above that is tax deductible.) Sign me up as: 0 $35 Regu lar Member 0 $50 Fami ly Member D $100 Friend D $250 Patro n O $500 Donor Mr./Ms. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - --
11 2
--
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ZIP_ _ _ _ __ Return co: Natio nal Maritim e Historical Sociery, PO Box 68, Peekskill N Y 10566
5