Speech for the Raising of the Merchant Marine Flag at Veteran’s Corner (2/12/2024)
Just a few short years ago Congress passed the Merchant Mariners of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act to recognize merchant mariners for their courage and contributions to the war. The civilian mariners sailed ships, hauling vital war cargo for the Allies. They were the supply line that provided everything Allied Armies needed to survive and fight on foreign battlefields.
President Roosevelt praised the merchant mariners in his many speeches during WWII, “without their skill and devotion to duty, our men and material could not be delivered”.
General Eisenhower declared in 1947 that, “when final victory is ours, there is no organization that will share it’s credit more deservedly than the Merchant Mariners”.
The merchant mariners landed on D Day, delivered the crew of the Enola Gay and when the war was over, they brought the troops home. They were unrecognized by government, unheralded in the history books and their sacrifice have been largely ignored until now.
250,000 merchant mariners served; 9,521 men were lost at sea. 8,500 tons of cargo delivered on average to our allies and armed forces every hour of every day during the last day of WWII.
Today we assemble at Veteran’s Corner to raise the Merchant Marine Flag, recognizing the role the Merchant Mariners have played and continue to play in the national defense
of the United States.
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YOU MAY ALSO HAVE AN INTERST IN THE REMARKS OF KIMBERLY BORGES AND OTHERS WHO SPOKE AT THAT CEREMONY; GO TO THE NEW EVERYTHING CROTON: AS PROMISED, CAPTAIN KIMBERLY BORGES REMARKS----MERCHANT MARINE FLAG CEREMONY---WITH APOLOGIES FOR THE DELAY
That's a great shot of Frank and is that the owner of the diner (Pete) on the right?
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