AMERICAN MERCHANT MARINE VETERANS MEMORIAL COMMITTEE, INC.

AMERICAN MERCHANT MARINE

VETERANS MEMORIAL COMMITTEE, INC.

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A NON FOR PROFIT, PRESERVING HISTORY OF THE MERCHANT MARINES

NATIONAL MARITIME DAY, DONATE TODAY

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National Maritime Day, May 22 at 11 am, honors American Merchant Marine Veterans. Annual luncheon tickets available for purchase.

Join us in San Pedro, $50 per seat. Celebrate with us on May 22!

Email or call President:

Harold Gage hgage@mfoww.org (562) 253-8120

General Dwight D. Eisenhower said on Maritime Day in 1945: “The officers and men of the Merchant Marine, by their devotion to duty in the face of enemy action, as well as natural danger of the sea, have brought us the tool to finish the job. Their contribution to final victory will long be remembered.” On National Maritime Day, May 22, 1989 our Committee dedicated the American Merchant Marine Veterans Memorial, not long after the Committee started a fund drive to erect the first National Merchant Marine Veterans Wall of Honor. On National Maritime Day, May 22, 2003 the five Walls of Honor were dedicated. These Memorials are the largest and most significant in the nation honoring American Merchant Mariners. The Committee still needs support to maintain and make improvements on the Memorials.

THE STATUE

The bronze statue, designed by Wilmington sculptor Jasper D’Ambrosi, depicts two merchant seamen climbing a Jacob’s ladder after a sea rescue. D’Ambrosi's sons completed the final model after his death in 1986. The Jacobs ladder was cast at Arizona Bronze in 1987. Private donors funded most of the $700,000 project. A plaque on the memorial honors the United States Merchant Marine's service in war and peace, dedicated to all who served.

THE MEMORIAL

This striking memorial, the first national memorial to merchant seamen in the United States, was commissioned by a group of local seamen to honor merchant marine veterans from all wars. At the height of World War II, there were 215,000 merchant mariners, including many teenage boys too young to enlist in the military, and men classified as 4-F, yet caught up in the patriotic fervor that swept the country after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. According to official statistics, more than 6,795 civilian merchant seamen lost their lives in World War II for a causality rate of 1:32 (the highest casualty rate of any service); 600 were taken prisoner; and more than 650 of their ships were sunk. Unofficial statistics cite 8,651 merchant mariners killed at sea, 11,000 wounded, 1,100 died from their wounds ashore, 604 taken prisoner and 60 died in prison camps.

THE STORY

The bronze plaque on the memorial pays tribute to the United States Merchant Marine's service in both war and peace, highlighting its role in global commerce. Comprised of civilian mariners and vessels managed jointly by the government and private sectors, the Merchant Marine transports goods and passengers worldwide during peacetime and supports military efforts during war. Merchant mariners operate various watercraft and vessels, including those on oceans, rivers, and lakes. As of 2016, the U.S. merchant fleet consisted of 175 privately owned oceangoing vessels, with an additional 800 American-owned ships registered abroad. The federal government maintains merchant fleets through entities like Military Sealift Command and the National Defense Reserve Fleet. Historic legislation has improved safety and living standards for mariners, while international conventions ensure maritime safety and environmental protection.