Merchant Marine Veterans Honored

American Merchant Marine Veterans

Merchant Marine veterans of World War II were honored during Memorial Day activities yesterday, in Washington. This was especially important, because merchant mariners who served in World War II have been overlooked as non-veterans, even though they were drafted into wartime service and the ships on which they served too often were not armed to protect them against enemy attack. They received no veterans benefits to help them start over after the war. In the 1980s, then-President Reagan declared the Merchant Marine to be one of the branches of military service; however, one is hard pressed to find their seal among the seals of the military branches.

For five Merchant Marine veterans, Memorial Day began with breakfast with the Bidens and included the Memorial Day parade and the concert at the Capitol Building. Read about it: U.S. Merchant Marine WWII Veterans to be Honored on Memorial Day | Seafarers International Union

Learn more about the American Merchant Marine Veterans. Home - American Merchant Marine Veterans (ammv.us)

Watch the Memorial Day Concert. National Memorial Day Concert | The National Memorial Day Concert (2023) | Season 2023 | Episode 1 | PBS