The American Merchant Marine Veterans (AMMV), which includes thousands of retired Seafarers, is urging passage of a new bill that would provide a monthly payment to World War II merchant marine veterans or their widows.U.S. Rep. Bob Filner (D-Calif.) on Jan. 27 introduced the “Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2004.” The legislation (H.R. 3729) calls for compensation of $1,000 per month.
In official remarks to fellow members of Congress, Filner noted, World War II Merchant Mariners suffered the highest casualty rate of any of the branches of services while they delivered troops, tanks, food, airplanes, fuel and other needed supplies to every theater of the war. Compared to the large number of men and women serving in World War II, the numbers of merchant mariners were small, but their chance of dying during service was extremely high. Enemy forces sank over 800 ships between 1941 and 1944 alone.”
Filner further pointed out mariners weren’t included in the GI Bill of Rights, which Congress enacted in 1945. “The merchant marine became the forgotten service,” he said. “The fact that merchant seamen had borne arms during wartime in the defense of their country did not seem to matter.”
Many WWII mariners finally received veterans’ recognition in 1988, along with access to what Filner described as a “watered-down” GI Bill. It took another 10 years to extend the cutoff date for recognition of mariners as veterans so it matched the date utilized by the military.
A member of the U.S. House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Filner observed, “While it is impossible to make up for over 40 years of unpaid benefits, I propose a bill that will acknowledge the service of the veterans of the U.S. Merchant Marine and offer compensation for years and years of lost benefits. The average age of (World War II) merchant marine veterans is now 81. Many have outlived their savings. A monthly benefit to compensate for the loss of nearly a lifetime of ineligibility for the GI Bill would be of comfort and would provide some measure of security for veterans of the U.S. Merchant Marine.”
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