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Naval/Maritime History
WWII World War Two
Military History
World History
Posted 6 y ago
Responses: 4
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On an earlier War, the period leading up to WWI before the United States had even entered the war, My Great Grandmother's brother Captain Benjamin O'Connell was a member of the US Merchant Marine. He was aboard a ship,the USS Vigilancia and serving then as 1st Mate when that ship was sunk by a German U boat, U70 on 16 March 1917 He and other members of the crew were adrift in a life boats for 3 days before being rescued. The Captain at that time didn't survive and went down with the ship. 15 Merchant seaman died on that attack,. The German submarine, U70 that sunk them the German Captain of that submarine had sunk 65 ships by the end of WWI.
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SMSgt Thor Merich
Great story. If I remember my history correctly, it took years before the Merchant Marines got the recognition their deserved for their huge contribution to America’s victory in WWII.
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