Throughout the history of the American Merchant Marine, awards and decorations were not unknown to seamen, but their blanket award specific to the Merchant Marine in particular as begun by the Federal government during the Second World War was novel. When considering Federal awards and decorations for the American Merchant Marine, their classification often falls […]
Tag: star
branch distinction
References Although not fully detailed in the United States Lines chart, epaulets – or shoulder boards – followed the same design. Of interest is the fact that USL shoulder boards did not use the same button as the uniform coat. Shoulder board, Royal South African Navy Col.: Anon
References for the Collector
U.S. Maritime Service Commissioned and Warrant Officer hat Winter hat; navy blue wool with wicker frame, ½-in. wide. gold bullion chinstrap and two 22½-ligne gilt cap screws. (note: if strap is ¼-in., hat would be that of a warrant officer). Circa Second World War. It is one thing to collect, and another to actually know […]
Insignia Houses
Where have all the insignia manufacturers of the American Merchant Marine managing operators gone? Long passed are the days of enamel flags on high-pressure caps, and so too is true for their makers. Through complex mergers and acquisitions, tools that once struck these diminutive flags found their way to the scrap heap or in the […]
mm dsm recipient photographs
Roll of Honor | Recipient Photos | OWI Recipient Citations | MM DSM | Leonard Conley | MM DSM Design | MM DSM Price Guide The American Merchant Marine Museum has in its collections press photographs of wartime recipients of the Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Medal. Some photos show stalwart widows, and others a smiling […]
mm dsm roll of honor
Roll of Honor | Recipient Photos | OWI Recipient Citations | MM DSM | Leonard Conley | MM DSM Design | MM DSM Price Guide In 1942 Franklin Franklin D. Roosevelt honored Edwin Fox Cheney, Jr. for his selfless act of bravery with the award of the first Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Medal in the […]
mm dsm citations
Roll of Honor | Recipient Photos | OWI Recipient Citations | MM DSM | Leonard Conley | MM DSM Design | MM DSM Price Guide C I T A T I O N S from the files of the U.S. Maritime Commission at the American Merchant Marine Museum P R E S S R E L E […]
the 142
Almost every April or March since 1985, the outgoing class of the United States Merchant Marine Academy hosts a gathering of First Classmen, alumni, and distinguished guests called the “Battle Standard Dinner.” Before a packed crowd in Delano Hall, the keynote speaker – invariably a high-ranking military officer or an official in the Federal government […]
buttons
Recently I came across a news item where the United States Navy once again redesigned its working uniform. Over the past decade, sailors complained they did not like the blue and purple or kelp green digital camouflage uniforms issued them by the fleet, nor did they appreciate having to change uniforms to and from work […]
mementos
Scrapbooks and snapshots capture ephemeral moments and act as sentinels for memory. In the period between the wars, scrapbooking was a great American pastime with families collecting bits and pieces of their lives to memorialize; this cultural phenomenon was not lost on members of the military or seafaring professions. During the Second World War, ever-present […]