Wordless Wednesday: Liberty Ship of the Merchant Marines

According to the paperwork I have from the United States Maritime Service and the discharge certificate, my dad was on this ship on this day.

Ahh, genealogy.  I am one proud child of my merchant marine.

©2017  AS Eldredge

Sources:  
https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/images/liberty-image49.jpg
http://www.armed-guard.com/about-mm.html

Military Monday: Sailing the Ocean Blue with the Merchant Marines

During the early days of World War II, my own special veteran papa, was part of the Merchant Marines.  I never really thought much about it.  I knew he had his first mate's papers and I knew he thoroughly enjoyed being on the water.

The Merchant Marines.  Well, this is quite interesting.  It wasn't until after my dad's death that the military decided these brave men who sailed the seas for our country during a time of war could be considered veterans.  As the Merchant Marines lost a greater per capita number of men than the US Armed Forces did during World War II, I found it astonishing that they weren't acknowledged as veterans until 1988.

Atlantic Trader, States Marine Co, WWII

The Atlantic Trader of the States Marine Co was just one of the boats on which he served. The captain during his trip to the French North Africa was a Captain S. Glenn.  Of interest in my reading is finding that the SS Keystone was torpedoed on a trip to North Africa at the same time my dad was on the Atlantic Trader.  Were they part of the same mission which had 45 merchant ships and 7 escorts?  I think I have more research to do.

I remember him talking about how they were gunrunners during the early war, but they weren't allowed to defend themselves.  Instead, they had Navy escorts when they trudged over the sea.  Although he told one of his cousins (who later told me) that it was really a cushy little job, he apparently tired of comments by those for whom he was running merchandize and men around.  So, after one trip ended, he tried to join the Navy.  They wouldn't take him.  Why?  I don't know.

He ended up talking with the Army who told them that they, the Army, also had boats.  That did it for him.  He joined up and spent the next twenty some odd years walking everywhere since he ended up in the Infantry.  Isn't that a kicker? Now, to be honest, he did spend some time in the Phillipines ferrying some men and some generals around.

Back to now---  I have been watching the World War II stories on my local PBS station and been amazed and horrified at the conditions these brave men fought.  One of them said that they weren't heroes.  Only the ones under the white crosses at Normandy qualified for that honor.  No, they were just survivors.

I think my dad felt that way as he told a sibling of mine that we should never forget all those brave fallen men.  My dad couldn't forget them.  And I can't forget my dad.

Ahh, genealogy.  A great big hug and thanks to all who served our country.  Papa was right.  We can't forget.

Sources:

http://www.statesmarinelines.com/index.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Merchant_Marine

Census Sunday: He's Not in the Navy, He's in the Naval Militia!

Ever spend time looking and reviewing the information you have collected over the years?  I did just that on Veteran's Day, and did I get a surprise!

Some ten years ago or more, I spent time at the National Archives and was able to find, touch with my prettily gloved hands, and get copies of both my grandfathers' World War I draft cards.  One draft card was not a surprise as I knew that grandpa was in the Army 11th Infantry and was wounded in the Battle of the Argonne in 1918.  

On the other hand, here was the surprise.  The draft card for my other grandpa said Navy?  He had military service?  And no one living today knew this?

Two of his grandchildren have tried to get information on the Navy service from NARA with no luck.  The consensus was his records were destroyed in the 1973 fire which destroyed so many of nation's veterans military records.  Dead end?

Maybe not.

Since the recent announcement that the NARA folks at the St Louis facility where the fire was have been trying to reconstruct some of the files, my interest resurfaced.  I have even had word that two people I know did ask a second time and their grandfather's records were rescued, restored, marked with a "B" for burn file and delivered.  Could I get this lucky?

I pulled up his draft card again just yesterday and realized that something was off.  The draft card was signed in 1917 and indicates he had already served four years as a Seaman.  So, he wasn't in World War I?  He served before that time.

Read closer and now I see something else.  Notice the branch.  It says Navy Militia?  What was that?

Militia groups formed by states in our nation's early days are not new.  I just didn't realize that the practice was common in the early 1900s.  Before and during the Spanish-American War, South Carolina reactivated the use of a Naval Militia in 1892 to guard its coast.  Apparently, this group of volunteers stayed active as the last group was mustered in, May 1907.

What jumps off this page is the mention of Lieut. SB MCCLAREY.  He was the older brother-in-law of my grandfather.  Bingo.  It makes sense.

Grandpa, a young impressionable late teen, was impressed with his more worldly brother-in-law, who had served in the Spanish-American War, probably jumped at the chance to join up with the Militia as one of the 172 elite men.  

The Naval Militia was disbanded at the beginning of World War I as our nation started its own Naval Reserves.  On a sidenote, the Militia was reestablished in 2003 and is now recognized at the Federal level.

Now, I just need to find the names of the enlisted volunteers to prove this.  I suspect the records may be at the South Carolina Archives.

Ahh genealogy.  Isn't it a grand day for a voyage!

Sources:

http://www.sixthfleet.com/newsletter/news10.htm

https://books.google.com/books?id=INblAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA39&lpg=PA39&dq=2nd+Division+SC+Naval+Militia&source=bl&ots=4k6VrlYiVZ&sig=VhdGKXT5AI-BQF_Op04qKP0F8pk&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjfiKbfmbfXAhUJ7IMKHTdSAe8Q6AEIYjAL#v=onepage&q=2nd%20Division%20SC%20Naval%20Militia&f=false

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YTC-S1TF?i=3627&cc=1968530

©2017  AS Eldredge

Wordless Wednesday: Remembering Pittsburgh Boys of World War I

As we stop and think about Veteran's Day and what it means to all of our brave men and women who have fought and who are fighting for this wonderful country of ours, perhaps now is a good time to read some articles from the past.  How can it be that it has been 100 years since America entered World War I?

These articles were printed in the Gazette Times, one of Pittsburgh's newspapers, and authored by Charles J Doyle.  The articles have been transcribed and can be seen on the Pittsburgh Old Newspaper Project.

Take some time and catch a glimpse of what these brave soldiers did for us.

Here's just a snippet to get you thirsty for more...

OFFICER TELLS THRILLING TALE OF BATTLE
Lieut. Lewis Describes a Bayonet Clash – Small Yank Kills Giant Hun.
BOCHE BARBAROUS

Washington, Pa., Oct. 19. – Buried alive half an hour in a trench along the Marne River and alive to tell the tale is but one of the thrilling experiences of Lieut. James A. “Pud” Lewis, of Elizabeth, Pa., and former Washington and Jefferson college student, recently returned from the French battle front.
Lieut. Lewis left college in his senior year at the declaration of war in April, 1917, and enlisted as a private with Company H of the old Tenth Regiment, Pennsylvania National Guard.  In his company he was promoted to corporal, sergeant and mess sergeant.  He was then sent to the officers’ training school, won a second lieutenancy, and was assigned to Company B of the One Hundred and Ninth Infantry, a Philadelphia regiment, with which he has won high honor and promotion to first lieutenancy.  He tells a story of a marvelous bayonet fight.......

And another snippet....

HOME BOYS GET PICTURE MADE

Members of Three Hundred Nineteenth Infantry Glad to Pose for Photo

YANKS IN GOOD TRIM

Headquarters, Eightieth Division, Jan. 18. – (By Mail) – Although the plucky members of the Eightieth Division had their full share of the hard fighting that marked the last days of the great war there were in such excellent condition that they recuperated quickly when they reached rest billets. A few days after the signing of the armistice a camera man of the Signal Corps, A. E. F., United States Army, visited Florent, an Argonne Forest town, and Nineteenth Infantry was stationed, and made the accompanying photograph for me.

The eagerness with which the Western Pennsylvania doughboys gathered when it was noised about that a picture was to be taken for publication “back home” proved that they were as full of “pep” as ever. They had completed a march of approximately 26 miles just a short time before, but nobody who heard about the photographer’s visit in time failed to “get in the bunch.” They had been out of line only a short time, but every looked snappy and happy. A French officer and some of the village women were asked to pose to give local color.
Pasted Graphic
Here are the names of the home boys in the picture. Pick ‘em out yourself......


Ahh, genealogy.  How many names.  How much suffering. And continuing prayers from a grateful nation.

©2017  AS Eldredge