Earlier this week the Congressional Gold Medal for World War II Merchant Mariners arrived in my mailbox. I was tapped to participate in the Design Committee in mid-2020; it was the greatest of honors to be involved in the committee to help guide the designers in crafting the medal – and even more an honor to assist in the celebration of America’s unsung heroes of the Second World War after all these years. Indeed, Merchant Mariners were belatedly given veteran’s status in 1988; however, their recognition took place at the Capitol, underlying the key role they played in winning the war.
In terms of the design itself, we on the Committee had been going back and forth over various designs without actually having any trial strikes or maquettes – holding the final result in my hand was pretty neat. I should mention, that the figures are a broad representation of a ship’s crew. I am really glad the Lundeberg Stetson was included – it is a nod to the unions; since, without their tacit cooperation, we would not have had anyone running the ships through the gauntlet. I had lots to say about the importance of the unions and officer’s cap and coat in our meetings – I am glad my suggestions were followed-up upon.
Apply for or purchase a Congressional Gold Medal Duplicate
A duplicate medal may be applied for or purchased; all medals available to veterans, their families, or the general public are struck in matte bronze. It is important to note Congressional Gold Medals awarded to groups are not an individual honor, group members do not receive their own gold medal – rather, a bronze medal. There is no limit to the number of medals an individual may purchase.
Application
The Merchant Mariners of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2020 authorizes the Maritime Administration (MARAD) to award duplicates of the medal to individuals who, between December 7, 1941, and December 31, 1946, were members of the United States Merchant Marine, or other related services – namely the Army Transport Service (ATS) or Navy Transport Service (NTS). If a qualified individual is no longer available to receive their medal, MARAD is authorized to issue a smaller duplicate of the medal to the next of kin.
To request a medal, MARAD asks that veterans or their family members or survivors submit (follow the bolded links for example documents – in the event you don’t know what you’re looking for):
- Mariner’s Full Name
- A copy of the Merchant Mariner’s DD Form 214, “Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active duty” with continuation sheet if provided (the DD Form 214 is required to verify Merchant Marine service on vessels during World War II – see the information below on how to file the DD-214);
- A summary, if available, of World War II sailing history to include the theater(s) of operation and ports of discharge; and
- Department of Commerce Continuous Discharge Book number, United States Coast Guard “Z Number,” or United States Maritime Service (USMS) number if available.
Inquires, along with the required documents, can be emailed to Katrina McRae at the Office of Sealift Support: katrina.mcrae@dot.gov
N.B.: I suspect the “duplicate” as noted above to be the 3-inch medal, and the “smaller duplicate” to be the 1.5-inch medal. The image above is of the 3-inch medal.
Purchase
The medal may be purchased from the United States Mint. The orders are dispatched from the US Mint’s fulfillment center in Memphis, Tennessee; depending upon the destination address, medals may be received anywhere from four to fourteen days after processing if using standard shipping.
The US Mint offers the medal in two sizes: 1.5-inches or 3-inches in diameter. Although the mintage of either medal has not been published, using numbers from previous years (2017-2020), the US Mint struck an average of 3,780 3-inch medals, and 2,560 1.5-inch medals. Once all stocks are depleted, medals are not re-struck. The price (as of this writing) for each is $20.00 and $160.00, respectively.
Please find the US Mint’s catalog page below:
https://catalog.usmint.gov/merchant-mariners-of-world-war-ii-bronze-medal-MASTER_MLMMW.html
Veteran Status & DD-214
Merchant Mariners of the Second World War may gain veteran’s status if they both prove their wartime service and if they hold an Honorable Discharge. Just like their uniformed peers, a discharge other than honorable invalidates a mariner from receiving veteran’s benefits – including receiving a duplicate of the Congressional Gold Medal. The key to this status is having a DD-214.
The DD-214 holds all pertinent information regarding a Merchant Mariner’s wartime service, including their positions aboard ships, vessels sailed, training stations attended, any decorations awarded, as well as the type of discharge they may hold. Unless they were kicked out of the industry or banned from War Shipping Administration ships – or did not skip out of training – most mariners served honorably.
The DD-214 may be obtained by filling out the “DD Form 2168, Application for Discharge of Member or Survivor of Member, April 2010;” requisite paperwork is available from the United States Coast Guard:
https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/NMC/pdfs/records_request/dd_2168.pdf
As a note, for families of deceased veterans, the DD-214 allows for them to petition the United States Maritime Administration for replacement or missing wartime decorations awarded to their kin as well as a duplicate Congressional Gold Medal.
☆ ☆ ☆
The American Merchant Marine Veterans (AMMV) has also provided a comprehensive guide – this should be consulted first:
https://ianewatts.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/ammv-mm-wwii-dd214-apply.pdf
The US Coast Guard published a short Frequently Asked Questions document regarding the application process as well as information on what to provide in applying for a deceased relative. The document is here:
https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/NMC/pdfs/faq/WWII_veteran_faq.pdf
Many thanks are due to Sheila Sova of AMMV regarding the DD-214 application process.