Depiction of the sinking of the freighter Robin Moor on May 21, 1941. Credit: American Merchant Marine Museum By Salvatore R. Mercogliano, Ph.D. - In his autobiography, The Second World War, Winston Churchill said of the Battle of the Atlantic, “The only thing that ever really frightened me during the war was the U-boat peril.” Beginning on September 3, 1939, with … [Read more...]
Merchant Mariners for the Gold
SS John W. Brown on the Great Lakes in 2000. John W. Brown is one of only two surviving World War II Liberty Ships. Photo: Project Liberty Ship Update March 13, 2020 - President Trump today signed into law the “Merchant Mariners of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2020,” a bill to award the Congressional gold medal to American Merchant Mariners of WWII. By … [Read more...]
Are Merchant Mariners Veterans?
https://youtu.be/mLa08JlmMNs 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 … [Read more...]
U.S. Coast Guard Loosens Radar Renewal Requirements for Experienced Mariners
The U.S. Coast Guard has published a final rule amending the requirements for renewal of a radar observer endorsement, making refresher courses no longer required for mariners who meet certain criteria. The final rule, titled "Amendments to the Marine Radar Observer Refresher Training Regulations", amends the requirements for renewal of a radar observer endorsement for … [Read more...]
On National Maritime Day, Where is the U.S. Merchant Marine?
May 22 is National Maritime Day in the United States. Initiated by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1933, it commemorates the sailing of the American steamship Savannah across the Atlantic to England in 1819. Since 1933, the date has been celebrated as a recognition for all those merchant mariners who have sailed in the past and the present, and honor those … [Read more...]