The Bravery of Merchant Mariners

Most are surprised how young the Merchant Mariners of WWII were. The other services rejected the underaged. The Merchant Marines, without a draft, weren’t picky. A 95 y/o recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal bestowed upon these mariners in 2022 was 15 when he shipped. It is hard to envision 15-year-olds trading shells with U-boats, Kamikazes or dive bombers. Harder still that some survived sinkings by swimming through burning oil or freezing water only to be machine-gunned by U-boats. 

Because of mariner losses, the cadets of the Merchant Marine Academy, not graduates, but teenage cadets, went in harm's way aboard the ships. 142 were killed in action. Hence the Merchant Marine Academy is the only one of the service academies authorized to fly a “Battle Flag” with its colors. 19-year-old Cadet Edwin O’Hara is depicted in a famous painting, his ship being attacked by two Nazi surface raiders. A shell killed the gun crew of their fourth gun, whereupon cadet O’Hara, alone, with his ship sinking under him, manned the gun and shelled a surface raider, sinking it. O’Hara went down with the ship.

These Merchant Marine teenagers that fought, and died, for the freedoms we enjoy are among those that the American Legion will not acknowledge in their Veteran’s events. 

A 101-year-old Merchant Marine Veteran: “Say to them what we did; urge them to read about us and find out about us. We gave up our yesterdays for your better tomorrow.”