Category: “merchant marine”

A mysterious old photograph

Last week a photograph originally in Mr. Bob Lind’s “Neighbors” column in the Fargo, North Dakota newspaper, The Forum, appeared in an online group about the Merchant Marine of the Second World War. The question in both places was, does anyone recognize the group? No one offered anything definitive. Neighbors ran this photo last year. Kimberly Paulson-Schulman, formerly of […]

“Firmitas adversaria superat” and “Alt for Norge”

Second World War U.S. Merchant Marine ribbons and two medals. USMM Victory Medal. Norway War Medal. USMM Combat Bar. USMM Defense Bar. USMM Atlantic War Zone Bar. Late Second World War and Postwar era. Uniformed members of the U.S. Armed Services wear an array of ribbons on their chests. The small strips of cloth denote […]

“Firmitas adversaria superat” and “Alt for Norge”

Donald Schiesher Lost in Action With Crew of Henry Bacon In an unforgettable epic of the sea, seven officers and eight men of the American Liberty ship Henry Bacon, boldly met death in an icy Artic gale to save the lives of 19 Norwegian islanders. One of these eight men was Seaman Donald Schiesher, son […]

Becoming a Kings Pointer

Midshipman cap badge. U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, NY. Single piece construction. Hallmark, V-21-N (Vanguard Industries). Circa 2006. This is the first in a series of articles where I explore the culture of the U. S. Merchant Marine Academy Regiment of Midshipmen. This first post focuses on the process of a Midshipman Candidate […]

U.S. Naval Reserve Insignia reprise

U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Midshipman Identification badge. U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, NY. Circa 2017. The Eagle Pin. Midshipmen at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point met the proscription of the U.S. Naval Reserve badge from their uniforms of by the Chief of Naval Operations in June 2011 with mild derision. […]

Cenotaphs and Cemeteries

Maquette, American Merchant Mariners’ MemorialClay and painted wood.Artist: Marisol (Marisol Escobar)Located at: American Merchant Marine Museum. “The men of our merchant marine form the essential link between the home front and the millions of men in the armed forces overseas. These men, although relatively few in number – around 180,000 – performed an heroic task […]