US Merchant Marine

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Johnsen, Erik Aboard the SS Louis Hennepin
After Erik Johnsen graduated from his final training at Kings Point, [Annotator's Note: US Merchant Marine Academy,...
Whitaker, Harold After the Military
Harold Whitaker went back to March Air Force Base [Annotator's Note: when he returned to the United States in December...
Broll, Walter Aftermath of the German Raid on Bari
Walter Broll became more cautious as a result of his experience at Bari, Italy with the German bomber attack on Allied...
Campbell, John America Won and Lost
John Campbell says that America won the war and lost the peace. We were out-negotiated by Churchill [Annotator's Note:...
Shaw, Roger Back Aboard the SS George Gayle
Roger Shaw returned to the SS George Gayle after his leave in New Orleans, Louisiana. The was his original ship. It...
DuBose, John Becoming a Merchant Mariner
After John DuBose signed on with the Merchant Marines, he was shipped to the Maritime Academy in St. Petersburg,...
Shaw, Roger Becoming a Merchant Mariner
Roger Shaw was born in New Orleans in 1921. He grew up and was educated in New Orleans. After graduating high school,...
Hughes, William Becoming a Soldier in Germany
William B. Hughes knew he wanted to be a soldier when he first saw his brother in uniform. He eventually joined the...
Campbell, John Being a Gun Loader and Training Killers
John Campbell was trained as a gun loader on merchant ships. In Great Britain, in 1943, air raids were still pretty...
Broll, Walter Being Alert and Lessons Learned
Walter Broll benefited by the war because it made him an alert man instead of the 18 year old minor he was when he...
Yoho, David Boot Camp
When David Yoho went through boot camp, it was great except for his troubled background. He kept getting into trouble...
Crump, Ralph Bringing Cargo to the CBI
The British admiralty had headquarters in Colombo, Ceylon [Annotator's Note: present day Sri Lanka], and Ralph Crump...
Saunders, David Civilian Life to Merchant Marine Life
David R. Saunders was born in December 1922 in New Orleans [Annotator's Note: New Orleans, Louisiana]. His father was a...
Crump, Ralph Combat in the Mediterranean and the Long Voyage Home
Ralph Crump's ship returned to Colombo, Ceylon [Annotator's Note: present day Sri Lanka], then headed to Aden, Arabia,...
Crane, James D-Day and Enemy Torpedo Attack
James Crane was waiting for D-Day in the war zone. They knew it was coming but did not know when. They had departed New...
Crump, Ralph Deployed with the Merchant Marines
Ralph Crump had passed all the tests, but all the gunnery training billets were full, and he was told that he would be...
DuBose, John Early Life
John DuBose was born in November 1926 in Dallas, Texas. He lived there almost all of his life. He grew up in a blue...
Broll, Walter Early Life
Walter Broll was born in 1925 in Baltimore, Maryland. He grew up and was educated in Baltimore. During the Great...
Hughes, William Early Life
William B. Hughes was born in April 1927 in Nashville, Tennessee. Nashville was a country town at that time. His father...
Yoho, David Early Life
David Yoho was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in August 1928 and grew up in the inner city. He had two sisters....
Crane, James Early Life
James Melvin Crane was born in Conehatta, Mississippi in Newton County. At 15 pounds, he was the largest baby boy in...
Johnsen, Erik Early Life and Enlistment
Erik Frithjof Johnsen was born in New Orleans, Louisiana in August 1925 and had one brother who had been born in 1922....
Crump, Ralph Early Life and Moving to California
Ralph Crump was born and raised in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The years of the Great Depression were "terrible," Crump said...
Whitaker, Harold Early Life and Reuniting with Family
[Annotator's Note: Interview begins with the interviewer introducing himself.] Harold Whitaker was born in Henrietta,...
Broll, Walter End of the War
Walter Broll and the Grace Abbott left Bari, Italy and headed for the ocean. Broll and the deck crew secured the...
Johnsen, Erik Final Thoughts
Erik Johnsen served in the US Merchant Marine during World War 2. Thinking about the war, he says that during it he...
Shaw, Roger Final Voyage
Roger Shaw boarded another ship after his assignment as captain of the Army transport. The ship had a radio operator...
Crane, James First Convoy
James Crane experienced a great change in the Merchant Marine. He was concerned about making the first convoy, but he...
Shaw, Roger First Mate
Roger Shaw wanted to ship out on a vessel that traversed the Mississippi River frequently. This would better enable him...
Johnsen, Erik First Ship Assignment
Erik Johnsen was a Cadet in the US Merchant Marine and his first ship assignment was the SS Dolly Madison which they...
Hughes, William First Voyage
William B. Hughes was sent to Merchant Marine boot camp in St. Petersburg, Florida. Afterward, he went to New Orleans...
Yoho, David First Voyage
David Yoho had his first voyage on a tanker shakedown trip to Halifax, Nova Scotia. After the shakedown, the ship went...
Shaw, Roger First Voyage as a Captain
Roger Shaw made a big mistake in his first opportunity as a ship's captain. He was assigned to an Army transport and...
Crump, Ralph From Deferment to Enlistment
In the beginning of 1943, Ralph Crump's draft status required that his boss write a letter every six months to the...
Campbell, John From East to West
John Campbell returned to the United States from Europe in April 1945. Everything on the East Coast was shut down...
Whitaker, Harold From the Merchant Marine to High School
By the time Harold Whitaker made his first voyage carrying grain to North Africa the war in Europe was over so there...

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