Veterans Day Parade magazine 2014_Layout 1 10/31/14 2:40 PM Page 22
Merchant Marines
18th Annual Veterans Day Parade the united states “Mariners” are the dedicated men and women of our nation who are designated to help move passengers, goods and cargo between regions within the united states and to outside nations. the Mariners are a part of the united states Merchant Marine (usMM), which is the the fleet of u.s. merchant vessels that facilitate the distribution and transportation of imports and exports during peace time and war time. during peace time, transporting cargo and passengers is an important responsibility; during war time, the usMM acts as an auxiliary to the navy, providing troops, supplies and a variety of necessities to the military. this service also is activated during the time of national emergencies. though the Mariners do not partake in combat, they play a large role in protecting and facilitating vital cargo. these u.s. Mariners are facilitated by the
A History of Our Military Branches
u.s. Coast Guard, the department of transportation and the u.s. Maritime Administration (usMA). in addition, a Mariner’s duty involves the world-wide waterway operation of maintaining and controlling a plethora of vessels including, but not limited to: tugboats, towboats, ferries, dredges, excursion vessels, and deep-sea merchant ships. According to the usMA, they ensure that their Mariners also regulate: shipbuilding and repairs, water and land transportation efforts, adequate ports and appropriate reservations for ship-space during a national emergency. during the time of national emergency, a special fleet, known as the national reserve defense fleet (nrdf) can be activated, and is comprised of ships that are directed by the usMA. According to the usMA, the usMM have played important roles in national conflicts since 1775, including their large impact in World War ii, contributing to the u.s. victory. the usMM Corps was founded on March 15, 1938, overseen by President John f. Kennedy’s father, Joseph P.
We honor our resident Veterans with pride! HHHHHHHHH
We pause to reflect on their courage and sense of duty. BiXBY KnoLLs toWErs 3737 atlantic avenue Long Beach 562-426-6123 CA LIC# 19160145
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Kennedy and were initially trained on government ships, before President franklin d. roosevelt recognized the important role the Mariners could play in World War ii; roosevelt then ordered mass amounts of liberty ships and established the u.s. Maritime service in the same year. President franklin d. roosevelt stated: “[Mariners] have written one of its most brilliant chapters. they have delivered the goods when and where needed in every theater of operations and across every ocean in the biggest, the most difficult and dangerous job ever undertaken. As time goes on, there will be greater public understanding of our merchant's fleet record during this war [World War ii].” Prior to World War ii, there were 55,000 trained Mariners, yet after the u.s. Maritime service began accepting Mariners as young as age 16 (in preparation for war), the numbers skyrocketed to 215,000, including retired sailors and the physically impaired, who were still able to assist with the operations of regulating imports, exports and cargo. during World War ii, all branches of the military were on full force, without the exclusion of the usMM. Amongst this time, Mariners delivered troops, ammunition, food, tanks, bombs, airplanes, fuel, and the list goes on. for the war, the Mariners’ motto was: “We deliver the Goods.” some military leaders even deemed the usMM as the “fourth arm of defense.” on september 27, 1942, a large act of heroism took place on the liberty ship during the war. the ship came into contact with a German raider ship and was compromised to fight back. Aboard the liberty, an engine cadet fired final shots, wrecking and sinking the German vessel. however, 40 other Mariners, including the young cadet, were killed by shrapnel, sinking the casualties and the liberty. the liberty survivors (19) then completed a 2,000-mile trek to brazil, in a lifeboat. in the southwest Pacific area, the usMM then played a vital role, spanning their duties to rescue soldiers and putting themselves in danger, as if they were a soldier in combat. in addition, u.s. es-
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cort ships were attributed with sinking over 110 submarines. in relation to the war efforts by the usMM, General douglas MacArthur said, “i hold no other branch in higher esteem than the Merchant Marine.” furthermore, to train Mariners in preparation for the war and further service as a Mariner, the u.s. Merchant Marine Academy (usMMA) was born in the 1940s; in 1943, the campus was dedicated to President roosevelt. Graduation from this academy was, and still is, as honorable as a graduation from the Coast Guard Academy, or West Point. According to the usMMA, they are a federal service academy that provides education and grants licenses to Merchant Marine officers of good nature, which upon graduation, will serve America as marine transporters and defensive specialists with dire needs during peace time and war time. Currently, the u.s. Maritime service of World War ii only exists now through these Maritime Academies. thousands of Mariners continue to be trained all across the nation, whether employed by the government or the usMMA, to assist in the valiant efforts of transport at sea. the official song of the usMM and the usMA is “heave ho, My lads!” Heave Ho! My Lads! Heave Ho! Verse Give us the oil, give us the gas Give us the shells, give us the guns. We'll be the ones to see them thru. Give us the tanks, give us the planes. Give us the parts, give us a ship. Give us a hip hoo-ray! And we'll be on our way.
Chorus Heave Ho! My Lads, Heave Ho! It's a long, long way to go. It's a long, long pull with our hatches full, Braving the wind, braving the sea, Fighting the treacherous foe; Heave Ho! My lads, Heave Ho! Let the sea roll high or low, We can cross any ocean, sail any river. Give us the goods and we'll deliver, Damn the submarine! We're the men of the Merchant Marine!