Are Merchant Mariners Veterans?

by Captain John Konrad (gCaptain) I have a confession to make…. I don’t want to post this video. I don’t want to share a video of me crying with hundreds of thousands of gCaptain readers. I don’t want to wear this hat. I don’t want to stand up to be recognized during veterans day. I have not served in war and I, a United States Merchant Marine Officer, certainly don’t feel like a veteran. Nobody does. But this video is not about me. It’s about the past and future mariners.

The following video is a longer and more in-depth look at this question. It is from my keynote speech during the 2019 American Merchant Marine Veterans association conference, I explore why WWII US Merchant Marine Veterans and many Merchant Navy Allies are still fighting TODAY for recognition… and why it’s important that we – Merchant Mariners and allied Merchant Navy officers – stand up and call ourselves veterans.

About John Konrad

Captain John Konrad is the founder and CEO of gCaptain and author of the book Fire On The Horizon. He is licensed to captain the world's largest ships and has sailed from ports around the world. John has built some of the world's most advanced ships and managed billion-dollar offshore construction projects in some of the world's harshest marine environments. John is a distinguished alumnus of New York Maritime College.