Ceremony honors members of Merchant Marine killed in combat

The Sunday Times, Contra Costa Times, Richmond, California, A Knight Ridder Newspaper
May 20, 2001

By Andrea Cavanaugh
ASSOCIATED PRESS

LOS ANGELES -- Veterans held a memorial Saturday to honor
those killed in combat from an often overlooked contributor to
U.S. military defense -- the Merchant Marine.

The ceremony was held at the site of the American Merchant
Marine Veterans Memorial, a small plaza flanked by a marble
wall near the Port of Los Angeles.

But the monument in San Pedro remains unfinished. Within the
next year, supporters hope to erect a Wall of Honor engraved
with the names of those who died in combat.

The completion of the monument will cost about $1 million.
Nearly half the money has been raised through private
donations. The remainder will be supplied by the federal
government if an act passed last month by the House of
Representatives is approved by the Senate.

"We owe much to the brave mariners, past and present, who
have served in the Merchant Marine," Rep. Stephen Horn,
R-Long Beach, told the 150 people who attended the event.
"The American Merchant Marine Memorial... is a symbol of the
debt we owe you."

Founded in 1775, the Merchant Marine carried supplies,
ammunition and troops to Allied forces during World War II. Its
ships were routine targets of enemy fire.

Of the 215,000 people who served in the Merchant Marine
during the war, more than 7,000 were killed in combat.

"We owe you a profound debt of gratitude," said
Assemblywoman Sally Havice, D-Cerritos. "Democracy has
survived because you merchant mariners were there to supply
troops and feed our allies."

Several men who served in the Merchant Marine during World
War II recounted close calls.

"I was on a ship that was torpedoed. The ship sunk but only
one man was killed," Richard Connelly, 77, said before the
ceremony. "It was a matter of luck -- time and place."

Veteran Bill Schwab, 76, recalled a voyage in May 1944
between South America and New York at a time when
Merchant Marine ships were suffering heavy casualties.

"Everybody was getting sunk but us," Schwab said. "I must
have had an angel on my shoulder."

Although many risked their lives and were a vital part of the war
effort, some mariners say they felt slighted by not receiving an
official hero's welcome when they returned from World War II.

"There wasn't even veterans' recognition until 1987," Connelly
said. "It was a mystery -- we were just kind of ignored."

---

American Merchant Marine Veterans Memorial Honoring U. S. Merchant Mariners
who served their country in peace and war is located in front of the Los Angeles Maritime Museum,
San Pedro, California

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