Thank you, Mayor Pugh and Village Manager Healy for bringing long overdue recognition to the Merchant Marines.
Raising the Merchant Marine flag here at this monument will give those who serve now and have served in support of our military and peacekeeping efforts throughout the world their place in Croton’s history.
The Merchant Marine Service has supported American military operations dating as far back as the Revolutionary War.
They are commonly referred to as our “4th Arm of Defense”. They are called on to provide sufficient crews to deploy hundreds of ships worldwide – both military and private vessels provide sealift capabilities in times of national emergencies and to meet Department of Defense needs during wartime.
This structure allows for reduced military fleets that can be supplemental at any time for a call-up to duty as needed.
Presently, the Merchant Marine is assigned to the Maritime Administration division of the Federal Department of Transportation.
The Merchant Marine Fleet also includes the Military Sealift Command which is part of the U.S. Navy, with a reserve fleet of ships that can be deployed/manned with Merchant Marines to transport fuel, supplies, equipment, and ammunition to U.S. military operations around the world.
Another national defense reserve fleet is also called on to transport cargo as well as privately held vessels under contract with the U.S. government.
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The Merchant Marine’s history is as rich as America’s.
The first recorded event that can be called the creation of the Merchant Marines was during the Revolutionary War in 1775 off the coast of Maine when the British ship Margaretta was captured by several schooners manned by local fishermen.
Despite the Margaretta being heavily armed, the fishermen were able to overtake them with their rifles and harpoons.
A bounty was paid to them for their good deed and George Washington gave approval to continue the bounty payments to other citizen ships.
Merchant Marines During War Time
WWI
197 merchant ships destroyed/sunk
Over 700 Merchant Marines lost
WWII
733 ships lost
9512 Merchant Marines killed out of 243,000 who served – a 1 out of 26 ratio which was the highest ratio of all the other combat forces
Merchant ships were prime targets by the enemy because of their cargo - fuel and ammunition
The first casualties of the Pearl Harbor attack were when the merchant ship SS Cynthia Olson was torpedoed by an enemy submarine and all 33 civilian Merchant Marines aboard were lost
An estimated 10,000,000 troops were transported by Merchant Marine vessels during WWII
KOREA
500 ships participated, supplying 75% of the military transports and cargoes
20 mariner lives lost
The merchant ship SS Meredith Victory performed the greatest rescue operation by a single ship - evacuating 14,000 refugees from Hungnam province in North Korea in December 1950
VIETNAM
Engaged merchant ships as early as 1951
300 ships in service, 95% of supplies used by American forces transported by Merchant Marine ships
180,000 refugees were carried out of Vietnam over a six-week period during the Vietnam withdrawal in April/May 1975
IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Merchant Marine ships are continuously involved in delivering military supplies to the ports around the region - during the Gulf Wars: Desert Storm, Desert Shield, and Operation Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom
90% of all military cargo bound for Afghanistan and Iraq was moved by American-flagged merchant vessels including reserve naval ships - some known as Ro-Ro’s (Roll On Roll Off)
During one port visit in Kuwait, my son Michael Anderson was aboard the naval reserve ship Cape Ray with military equipment to be delivered to the 4th Infantry Division Combat Engineer Battalion. Upon docking, the captain of the Cape Ray announced over the deck loudspeaker “Mike Anderson, you have a visitor on the dock.” It was the 4th Division Company Commander Jim Riely, our close lifelong family friend from Croton! What a once in a lifetime coincidence! A story that will be handed down forever!
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Providing foreign aid - now military - is also a large responsibility of the Merchant Marine vessels in war and peacetime - supplying food, water, medical supplies, and equipment to over 200 countries and territories around the world - reducing poverty and disease, increasing life expectancy and economic growth.
We are proud to have this new flag raised today!
Remember: With all the conflicts and stress we have about every day, please remember - the U.S. has fed and freed more people than any other nation in the world!
Thank you and if there are any teachers, students, parents, or guidance counselors in the audience - may I encourage you to consider an education opportunity at one of the 7 Merchant Marine academies responsible for training Merchant Marine officers? There are 2 academies an hour away from Croton - U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point and SUNY Maritime College at Fort Schuyler.
They offer a rigorous curriculum in maritime fields, engineering, naval architecture, international relations, clean energy - wind turbine and ocean harnessing as emerging technologies.
A graduate will enjoy 100% job placement upon graduation.
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