WW II Merchant Mariners Service Act
Many Handicapped mariner, women and school children served on coastwise barges during WW II without recognition for their services. They filled a billet, drew wages and paid taxes but were issued not official credentials due to their disability, ag
Public Law 95-202 bestowed veteran status on US Merchant Marine Seamen of WW II, however, because of specific government actions and social conditions some 10 to 30 thousand coastwise merchant seamen may have been denied their due recognition. Action in both houses must be taken to correct this travesty. Every state was a major contributor to this effort, both in materials and manpower. This bill requires such methods of recognition to include Social Security Records and sworn testimony from the veteran or their next of kin, (a practice going back to post-Revolutionary War times). This bill will, for the first time, allow women, some school children and some elderly handicapped seamen the opportunity to gain due recognition as veterans. They performed the same duties as credentialed mariners, received wages and paid their taxes. Today we would call this type action, discrimination due to age, gender or disability. We take supporting our veterans seriously and want our Congressional representatives to do likewise. A bill was introduce in the house in the last session, HR 1288, "WW II Merchant Mariners Service Act" but expired there. This bill will be reintroduced in the 113th session ASAP. Accordingly, we, your constituents, respectfully request immediate action be taken to introduce and fully support this bill in the House as well as a Senate companion bill to HR 1288 or its successor in 2013. Time is of the essence with the WW II US veteran leaving us at a rate better than 1000 per day; therefore we want your action to take place immediately.
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