To The Editor:
I am writing on behalf of all World War II Merchant Marine veterans but one in particular, my father Fred Warren of Wolfeboro. They need help.
My father served with the Merchant Marines during World War II. He survived a typhoon in the Pacific. He survived deployment of an experimental submarine detection device that left his liberty ship, the SS Jeremiah O’Brien, a sitting duck for German U-boats in the Atlantic. He survived an attack on his convoy bringing critical supplies to the besieged Island of Malta in the Mediterranean. I don’t know what other harrowing experiences he went through. He doesn’t talk about it.
He was lucky he made it home. The casualty rate for World War II Merchant Marines was 1 in 26, higher than any branch of the armed services. Freedom is not free and the Merchant Marines of World War II paid dearly.
My father has never received help in any form from our government because Merchant Mariners were denied benefits under the GI Bill. No low interest loans, no unemployment pay, no free college training, nothing. World War II Merchant Mariners were not even considered veterans until an act of Congress in 1988.
I respect all of our veterans and consider them heroes. But I am especially proud of my father. In my eyes he is a hero too. It’s time to make amends.
Sadly, it appears there are Politicians here in America that do not agree with me.
There is now a bill in the US Congress HR23 and the US Senate S1272 (Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2005). This act would give $1,000 a month to surviving Merchant Mariners who served during World War II. The Bill also gives Social Security credit for time served during World War II, like the credit given to others who served in the Army or Navy.
In the House 248 members have co-sponsored HR23 which would give it a majority when the bill comes to a vote. Kudos to our New Hampshire Congressman Jeb Bradley, he signed on as a Co-sponsor over one year ago.
The Senate desperately needs co-sponsors or it may never even come to a vote. To my knowledge our New Hampshire Senators, Judd Gregg and John Sununu do not support this bill. It’s hard to say, I never received a response from Senator Sununu and the generic response I received from Senator Gregg, well, I can only assume means no.
I ask readers to help my father and all the other World War II Merchant Mariners by contacting their Congressmen and especially their Senators and insist on their support as co-sponsors. It is easy to do by going to this web site http://www.usmm.org/urgent.html and clicking on your State. This will tell you who is not a co-sponsor and will supply e-mail addresses and local phone numbers.
For those in NH and without Internet, you can call the US Senate toll free at 877-762-8762, or write them a letter. The Honorable Judd Gregg, 125 North Main Street, Concord, NH 03301 and The Honorable John Sununu, 1 New Hampshire Ave#120, Portsmouth, NH 03801.
Time is running out. The average age of a World War II Merchant Marine is 83.
Larry Warren
114 Wentworth Road
Brookfield, NH 03872
ifiddle2@yahoo.com