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Senate Bill Introduced for WWII Mariners

August 2005

A long-awaited change could be on the horizon for the thousands of World War II U.S. Merchant Mariners who have not been fairly compensated for their service to the country. Under legislation unveiled recently by a politician from Nebraska, the aforementioned individuals would receive comparable treatment with other veterans. Democratic Senator Ben Nelson in June introduced a bill—the Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2005, (S. 1272)—to amend title 46, United States Code, and title II of the Social Security Act. If passed by Congress and signed into law by the president, the measure would provide benefits to certain individuals who served in the United States Merchant Marine (including the Army Transport Service and the Naval Transport Service) during World War II. “Merchant mariners transported troops, ammunition, food, gas and other supplies that were necessary to win the war, in open waters aboard slow-moving cargo ships,” said Nelson during his introduction of the measure. “They were a target of enemy forces which sank more than 800 of these ships. More than 9,000 merchant mariners were lost at sea. The casualty rate amounted to one out of every 26 … yet they have been denied fair treatment all these years because they were civilians.” The senator’s proposal—and a companion bill which carries the same title (H.R. 23) introduced earlier this year by U.S. Rep. Bob Filner (D-Calif.)—among other things would pay $1,000 per month, tax free, to merchant mariners or their widows. It would also increase their monthly Social Security check. 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.” Approximately 10,000 Merchant Mariners and their widows who are old enough to serve in World War II are still living. ###