New Petition to Provide Veteran Status for WWII Era Merchant Mariners is Online
Petition specifically asks for alternative methods of recognition for Veterans Status to merchant marine seamen of WWII. Proposed wording has been sent to Congressman Bob Filner, Chairman House Veterans Affairs Committee; Senator Daniel K. Akaka, Chairman, Senate Veteran Affairs Committee.
The author of this proposal, Mr. Don Horton, hopes that the grass-roots effort will, in his words, “provide recognition to some 10,000 seamen that have not been able to gain recognition or have already been denied their recognition as veterans because of actions taken by government agencies before Public Laws 95-202 and 105-368 were placed into law.” He goes on to claim that expedient approval is a necessity, with the average age of the US veteran to be in the mid 80s and declining at a rate of 850 per year or 2.5 daily.
According to Horton, the U.S. Coast Guard defines acceptable forms of documentation to be (a.) Certificates of Discharge (Forms 718A), (b.) Continuous Discharge Books and (c.) Company letters showing vessel names and voyages. But, Horton also points out the following issues with documentation from that era:
• The masters of tugs, towboats and seagoing barges were relieved of the requirement of submitting reports of seamen shipped or discharged on Form 718(A) by the Commandant’s Order 20 March, 1944. (Reference Commandant, USCG ltr of 29 Sep, 1949, MVP subj: Barge Charles J. Hooper; foundering of on 7 November, 1948;
• USCG reference paper #77 of April, 199- , page 3, states “After World War II, however, the deck and engine logbook of vessels (continuous discharge books) operated by the War Shipping Administration were turned over to that agency by the ship owners, and were destroyed during the 1970s;
• Companies have been out of business, with records lost to history, since mid 1950s. Also, during the World War II, strict orders were given to specifically refrain from producing paperwork and even the discussion of ship movements were strictly forbidden. Remember “Loose Lips Sink Ships”? This makes producing company letters with trip information highly unlikely.
Horton goes on to say, “Under 112 Statute 3336 P.L. 105-368 of 11 Nov. 1998 sub section 11202. Qualified service, there is no specific identification of acceptable forms of documentation.”
This proposal presented below, will allow for alternative methods of documentation suitable for identification of services and allowing benefits to those remaining seamen on those coastwise tugs, towboats and seagoing barges that are now being denied services because records are "not available to prove acceptable service".
Horton’s proposed language of a bill to be entitled Alternative Methods of Recognition for Veteran Status to Merchant Marine Seamen of WW II is as follows:
Be It Enacted by the one hundred & eleventh Congress of the United States:
Preamble: Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in congress assembled; Public Law 95-202 & 105-368 provided veteran status for members of the U.S Merchant Marine who served during WW II between 07 Dec, 1941 and 31 Dec, 1946 and who were able to prove their service. Various actions by governmental personnel have destroyed or caused these documents to be unavailable. These actions prohibit merchant marine veterans of WW II from receiving the recognition and benefits of veteran’s status provided by these laws. Alternative methods to prove service are required, as just compensation, for records lost by government actions.
SECTION 1: Records held by the Social Security Administration that denote dates, wages earned and companies employed shall be utilized when USCG forms 718 (any date) or other official data such as ship’s logbook, etc, are not available.
SECTION 2: Validated testimony from the veteran or primary next of kin as to employment shall be 13. allowed to determine eligibility; and
SECTION 3: Other official documentation offered by the veteran, shall constitute replacement of records that were destroyed or from other actions causing the required records to be unavailable that were committed by those responsible for the control and maintenance of veteran records.
SECTION 4: For the timeframe between 07 December, 1941 and 31 December, 1946, masters of seagoing vessels shall be recognized as agents of the United States authorized to document crew members as it applies to the shipping and discharge of seaman for purposes of employment.
SECTION 5: These replacements records shall satisfy all requirements for eligibility of service during the required timeframe 07 December, 1941 and 31 December, 1946.
SECTION 6: This bill will go into effect 91 days after passage.
Contact the (proposed) bill’s author at: [email protected]. Mr. Horton’s family has deep roots in the U.S. merchant marine. He adds, “Recognition for my family as veterans of the United States Merchant Marine during the World War II timeframe has not been forthcoming. Efforts to gain recognition through normal channels that would have proven our employment have been unsuccessful due to the lack of records. Five members of my family served during all or part of this war. My oldest brother was killed when the German U-boat 754 shelled and sunk the tug Menominee just 9 miles off the coast of Virginia and 50 miles north of the Chesapeake Bay on 31 March, 1942. My father served before, during and after this war on seagoing barges. My mother worked both full time and during summers while another brother and I worked between school sessions. We have applied for veteran status and were all denied by the National Maritime Center (NMC) due to records not available to verify employment. An appeal of this decision resulted in recognition of the brother that was killed aboard the tug Menominee in 1942. The decision for the rest of the family has remained unchanged even after intervention from my two US senators.”
Access and sign the petition online by clicking HERE. You can also see who has already signed it.