Merchant Marine facts
While investigating facts about Merchant Mariner Credential and Merchant Marine Salary, I found out little known, but curios details like:
A Greek merchant vessel call the "Captayannis" capsized in the middle of the River Clyde in Scotland in 1974, and has remained there ever since as nobody claims responsibility for it. It now homes marine life and birds.
how to become a merchant marine?
About John “Chickie” Donohue, a merchant marine, who completed the “Greatest Beer Run Ever” in 1968 when he snuck into Vietnam at the height of the war to find his three closest friends and buy them a beer.
What's merchant marine?
In my opinion, it is useful to put together a list of the most interesting details from trusted sources that I've come across answering what does a merchant marine do. Here are 21 of the best facts about Merchant Marine Jobs and Merchant Marines Academy I managed to collect.
what merchant marines do?
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1 in 26 U.S. Merchant Mariners were killed in World War II while delivering supplies to U.S. forces, making it higher than any armed service in World War II -- despite this, they were denied official recognition and benefits by the U.S. government until 1988
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The first document anti-Vietnam War protest in America took place in 1945. The protest was done by Merchant Marine sailors who were protesting the government using their ships to transport French soldiers to the Indochina War.
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In WW2, the America branch with the highest casualty rate wasn't the Army Air Force, the Navy, the Coast Guard or even the Marines. It was the Merchant Marine. 1 in 26 sailors on cargo ships and transports died.
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Chuckie Donohue, a merchant marine from New York City, snuck into the war zone in Vietnam in the ’60s to deliver beer to his three enlisted buddies from back home.
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During WWII the U.S. Merchant Marines suffered a higher casualty rate than any other military branch
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Puerto Rico must use the U.S. Merchant Marine for the oceanic transportation of any goods. All imported products would drop 40% and it would save PR $150 million in product export if they didn't use it. PR trade produces 25% of The U.S. Merchant Marine’s income.
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Joseph Conrad made several memorable voyages as a French merchant marine and later as a first mate and eventual commander in the British Merchant Navy.
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Switzerland, a landlocked country, has a merchant marine fleet consisting of 47 ships
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The SS El Faro - a Merchant Marine vessel which sunk in 2015, killing 33 crewmembers. The captain could have taken a path to avoid Hurricane Joaquin, but decided against it to avoid six hours of travel time and a few thousand dollars in extra fuel usage.
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Despite suffering the highest casualty rate of any service in WWII, U.S. Merchant Marines were not granted veteran status until 1988
Why i want to be a merchant mariner?
You can easily fact check why become a merchant marine by examining the linked well-known sources.
Although Merchant Marines were considered part of the military under the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, they were not eligible for benefits under the G.I. Bill.
A 5th US Service academy: The US Merchant Marine Academy - source
There is a Greek community in Peru (650) descended from 7 Greek merchant mariners, who survived the onslaught of the Chilean - Peruvian war in 1880 because they raised a Greek flag. - source
Carl Zeidler mayor of Milwaukee from 1940-1942, who won election by unseating six-term Socialist mayor Dan Hoan. After just two years in office Zeidler resigned to enlist in the US Navy Reserve to fight in WW2. His merchant marine ship was lost off the coast of South Africa in Dec, 1942.
The US Merchant Marine suffered the highest casualty rate of any US service branch during WW2, but wartime mariners were denied veterans status until 1988 - source
When did merchant marines get veteran status?
John “Chickie” Donohue, a merchant marine from New York City snuck into the war zone in Vietnam in the ’60s to DELIVER BEER to his three enlisted buddies from back home. It is known as the GREATEST BEER RUN EVER and has a documentary made about it.
How much do merchant marines make?
The Merchant Marine of Switzerland is the largest merchant navy of a landlocked country.
About the 'Jones act' Officially called the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, it requires goods shipped within the US to be on ships owned, operated and built by Americans. In Puerto Rico goods to them cost way more and they can't directly ship things like mosquito Nets from China where they're made
It was rumored Patton chewed out a man for the state of his uniform. "Run Along asshole" the man replied "I'm in the Merchant Marine."
