The Forgotten Heroes : The Heroic Story of the United States Merchant Marine

Rating:
Summary: Where would America be without her displaced heroes?
Review: "Abe Lincoln failed in business 1831 and again in 1833. In the meantime, he ran for state legislator and lost. His sweetheart died in 1835, and he had a nervous breakdown the next year. He lost the nomination to Congress in 1843, was defeated again for Congress in 1848 and 1855 and lost the vice presidency of the United States in 1856. Then he ran for Senator in 1858 and lost. In 1860 Abe Lincoln was elected president of the United States. The rest is history." (Mtn. Wings, 10-26-2004)

This is a most interesting and researched history of a group of unsung United States' heroes. Called the 'forgotten heroes' because the government refused benefits, recognition, parades, medical and educational aid, simply because they were civilian seamen. Though they have been around since Revolutionary War days (they actually formed the first Navy of U.S. in colonial times when more seamen died during that war than did the soldiers of George Washington's Continental Army.), they received no compensation and had duties which put them in peril. During WWII, their casualties were so high it was kept a secret.

And yet, the members of the U.S. Merchant Marines, civilian 'fighters', they were called, were vital to the Allies' victory. Using diaries, interviews with surviving 'veterans.' government records, and historical documents, they are shown to have performed innumerable 'feats of extraordinary bravery' as they delivered food, fuel, even the troops which were deployed -- every essential needed in wartime to assist in our victory. Many perished at Pearl Harbor where their transport ship was the first to be torpedoed by a Japanese submarine.

They even performed rescues of British Royal Air force fliers from life rafts in the Mediterranean during WWII. The SS Martin Van Buren ship was torpedoed off the coast of Nova Scotia. There is an account of Merchant Marines actually freezing to death. They fought along with military servicemen over a period of more than 200 years. Their motto has always been "Deeds, Not Words."

The were called the lifeline of the Allied Forces and were sent into war zones to transport troops, bombs, tanks, planes and their fuel, torpedoes, munitions, and other dangerous war material. The photo section displays these activities. In 1936, the government declared the Merchant Marine ships as auxiliary military vessels. They suffered more deaths per capita in WWII than any of the American armed forces.

Because of their cargo of delivering war supplies to our overseas troops and transporting the soldiers into battle zones, the Merchant Marine ships were targets of German U-boats and Japanese kamikaze planes. Their petroleum tankers were blown up, and the merchant ships carrying ammunition which were torpedoed had explosions so immense that no traces of the vessels or their crews were ever found.

In 1984, Michael Pare starred in THE PHILADELPHIA EXPERIMENT which depicted this very thing. In it, he looked like my high school sweetheart, Jim Darling. Since then, he has made more than forty films. For me, though, this was his best!

Written by the son of Frank Herbert, whose novels about DUNE influenced my son Zach to write science fiction, he is aided in this research by a Merchant Marine vet, Dean E. Beaumont of Arizona. They'd met by chance on the ocean liner, Queen Elizabeth II and he'd regaled Brian with incredible stories of the Merchant Marine exploits and bravery under fire. Stanley Hildbreth of Oregon was injured on a Liberty ship (photos and drawings of which are included in the photo section), in the invasion of Sicily, told how he went on to take part in the Normandy invasion directly from the hospital. "I didn't want to miss the big one," he'd said.

It was my good fortune to know an actual Merchant Marine who told fascinating accounts of all the places he'd been and things he'd seen, leaving out the dangers he'd been in. Robert Wrisley of Pulaski, TN, had led (in my opinion) a glamorous career and had many memories to share. Many times I encouraged him to write a book, but he seemed more interested in making up limericks to entertain his friends. Perhaps his glossing over the dangers he'd endured as a young man in the name of our country was his ploy to try to forget the actual happenings.

This book is full of valiant heroic deeds and accounts of so many survivors and their families who had suffered immensely. The losers in the war, Germany and Japan, were treated better by the American government than the men of Merchant Marines. These vanquished foes received billions of dollars in reconstruction aid. The Merchant Marine vets were lucky to receive cardboard medals which they had to request by mail.

They were treated similar to our Viet Nam vets (only without the monetary benefits) from a government who wanted to sweep them 'under the rug.' There were no victory parades or "welcome homes" for them, either. They were considered as 'disgraces' and treated as such.

Finally, forty years after the end of that war, they were awarded minimal, extremely limited benefits -- which were of little use to most of the aged survivors. To this day, they have never received the recognition they deserve. What is wrong with American politics? These 'legitimate' heroes have been dealt 'a terrible wrong' by the greatest nation in the world -- their own homeland.

He's written several science fiction novels listed on New York Times Bestseller lists and received numerous literary honors including being nominated for the Nebula Award. One of his early books, THE DRAGON IN THE SEAS, was similar to the actual happenings in the real MERCHANT MARINES. He published some follow-ups of the DUNE series himself and co-authored MAN OF TWO WORLDS with his famous dad. Last year, his biography of his illustrious father, DREAMER OF DUNE, was published. Like father, like son!

Rating:
Summary: Those who sailed with the forgotten heroes.
Review: As I read the book I am disappointed with the minimal mention of the men of the USN who, after a delay in the early months of 1942,sailed on the merchant ships as Navy gunners and communications personnel as members of the USN Armed Guard. On most Liberty ships there were about 28 members of the USN. I served on four Liberty ships and had a very high admiration for the MM as shipmates in periods of tedium as well as in enemy action. The inability of the civilian sailors to get the post-war benefits enjoyed by their Navy crew members was unfortunate but they did not sail alone. The book is enjoyable.