I am going to hope you will see this Sheila since you pulled all your posts here with a statement that we here cannot see an advocate for the US Merchant Marine in you.
Why you received pushback from myself and others to your posts is that we see a woman who is a fervent advocate for men who performed their duty more than seven decades ago but who is not doing similarly for those American mariners who are going (or trying to) go to sea now in 2019. Everything you have purported to do is to tirelessly demand that our WWII merchant marine seamen get the recognition from our government which they didn’t get after that war ended but how does any of that effort extend to our government recognizing how critical we remain 75 years on? Sorry to say but I certainly don’t see it.
We here are present day mariners who have found our industry steadily shrinking for four decades and the number of jobs available to us to serve US flagged ships declining at a precipitous rate. We all know that when there is another major conflict requiring the manning of the reserve fleet, the government will be desperate for us to answer their call but how are we going to be able to be there to do that if we cannot work in our chosen profession during peace like today. I answered their call in 1990 when their was a massive breakout of the RRF but times were better then so I was able to leave a sailing job on Alaska to be part of the sealift. I was still in my 20’s then and constantly raising my license grade at every opportunity however if it was today, I very much doubt I would be able to do that.
The US creates many new merchant marine seaman and officers each year with the idea that they must be there for future need but a young person just getting started needs to have the chance to work on ships today during times of peace so they he have the increased knowledge and ability to be truly valuable and ready when there is the next wartime breakout of the reserve fleet. A fresh third mate who cannot find a chance to sail will leave the industry and not increase their own level of ability for future service. Maybe they could go back as a third mate but how do we get that man to become a chief mate or a master? Entry level is easy to fill but senior level is hell during a mass mobilization! If our third mate doesn’t go to sea then he never raises his license and the pool of more senior officers then never is refreshed. As those with the ability (like myself) get too old to go back to sea that pool becomes ever smaller. Today, there are something like 12000 of us experienced mariners out there in the country and that number is at the razor’s edge of there being enough to man over 70 reserve ships. I would go back if called to do so but in my late 50’s so my ability to do that is maybe only another decade. Who is there behind me? There needs to always be others to keep that pool at 12000 (preferably many thousands more) but it at the rate our government neglects this industry, it will continue to shrink and will become so small that dozens of reserve merchant ships will be stuck at the dock during a breakout and that precious cargo our troops need will be trapped in the CONUS.
now what can happen here today with this reality? (part II to follow below)
btw, I am a US citizen born in Seattle, I hold the license as ocean master of steam or motor vessels of any gross tonnage. I sailed for 30years until I decided to semi retire and go into business for myself however I remain ready to answer the call provided the war is not started based on lies and false claims like in 2003. I refused to be part of that sealift and today very proud to have not gone.