Dear Abby: World War II mariners are entitled to benefits
Dear Abby was kind enough to send out the following letter to the many newspapers that carry her syndicated column.
The letter has produced a virtual avalanche of letters and visits to our website from all over the United States. We are recruiting volunteers to help us open and stuff envelopes.
One mariner who requested application forms for veteran status stated, "I decided it was important that my children and grandchildren could honestly say that I was a veteran of World War II."
A relative of a mariner lost during World War II felt Veteran Status will finally bring some measure of closure to the family.
Dear Abby, Thank you and God bless you.
Dan and Toni Horodysky
May 8, 2001
San Francisco Chronicle MONDAY, APRIL 30, 2001
DEAR ABBY
Abigail Van BurenWorld War II mariners are entitled to benefits
DEAR ABBY: World War II mariners, who suffered the highest casualty rate of any of the branches of service while they delivered troops, tanks, airplanes and fuel to every theater of war, were belatedly awarded veteran status in 1988 and in 1998.
Thus far, only 95,000 out of a quarter-million eligible mariners, or their survivors, have applied for veteran status. Application procedures can be found here
This is important because men and women who served in the U.S. Merchant Marine and the U.S. Army Transport Service may be eligible for medical care through the Veterans Administration, At the very least, they can tell their grandchildren they are veterans of World War II and can get a flag for their coffin.
Mariners from the Korean, Vietnam, Gulf wars, and the U.S. Maritime Service, the official World War II Merchant Marine training organization, should contact AMMV: OTHER, at the above address, so that they, too, can join together in applying for veteran status.
DANIEL HORODYSKY,
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR,
AMERICAN MERCHANT MARINE VETERANSDEAR DANIEL: I am pleased that these unsung heroes are now able to receive benefits, as they should have been in the first place.
Write to Dear Abby, Universal Press Syndicate, P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
UNIVERSAL PRESS SYNDICATEDear Abby is written by Pauline Phillips and daughter Jeanne Phillips.
Merchant mariners respond to letter: A Berkeley man's note to Dear Abby, urging the service's WWII veterans to sign up for benefits, brought a flood of mail, by Tony Hicks, West County Times [Richmond, California] Tuesday, May 8, 2001
5/8/01