Merchant marines deserve recognition | Letters, July 17


July 21, 2009 · Updated 10:13 AM 

  • 0
  • Print Story
  • Letter/Editor

The Seattle Times printed an article titled, “Merchant Marine Veterans Fight for Recognition.”

I was one of them. The Veterans of Foreign Wars is opposing HR23, which would include recognition and a small compensation for the benefits other services gained after World War II.

As the spokesman for the V.F.W. says, “It’s a matter of fairness” because so many civilian organizations supported that war.

But they were never sitting ducks as we were. We carried tons of explosives and thousands of troops, and if we were hit our ships blew to shreds.

We were by law actually part of the military, but we were never given any of the benefits, though a few of us got medals. I even have an honorable discharge from the Army.

There are only a handful of us left in our 80s and 90s, and we will soon be gone. Will we go in bitterness or respect?

Raj Shivapriyan

Parfitt Way

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.

So keep your comments:

  • Civil
  • Smart
  • On-topic
  • Free of profanity

We ask that all participants own their words by logging in with their Facebook account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and “drive-by” commenters. We reserve the right to remove comments from anyone using screen names, pseudonyms or false identities. Please refer to our Terms of Use for full detail on participating on our site.

blog comments powered by Disqus