1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:10,640 All across America and around the world, this is Veterans Radio. 2 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:15,680 This is Veterans Radio. 3 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:17,840 Welcome to Veterans Radio. 4 00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:20,520 I am Jim Fossone. 5 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:22,840 I'm the officer of the deck today. 6 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:24,720 We've got some great programs for you. 7 00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:29,520 We always want to remind you you can find more about Veterans Radio at its Facebook 8 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:35,240 site or at the web, veteransradio.org, where we're on the web 24-7. 9 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:38,360 You can find a lot of our podcasts there as well. 10 00:00:38,360 --> 00:00:45,000 We post new ones every Tuesday, so you can get a new story, a new interview, something 11 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:49,600 you didn't know before by going to veteransradio.org. 12 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:53,040 And before we get started, we want to thank our sponsors. 13 00:00:53,040 --> 00:01:00,880 Next up, we want to thank National Veteran Business Development Council, NVBDC.org. 14 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:06,560 It was established to certify both service disabled and veteran owned businesses. 15 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:13,080 You'll find out how they can help your business by going to NVBDC.org. 16 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:19,000 We want to thank Legal Help for Veterans, Legal Help for Veterans Fights for Veterans 17 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:22,120 Disability Rights all across the nation. 18 00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:33,240 You can reach them at 800-693-4800 or on the web at legalhelpforveterans.com. 19 00:01:33,240 --> 00:01:36,040 And finally, PuroClean. 20 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:38,680 PuroClean is the paramedics of property damage. 21 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:44,560 It provides water damage remediation, flood water removal, fire and smoke damage remediation, 22 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:48,040 mold removal, biohazard cleanup. 23 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:52,240 It also has a focus on veteran franchisees. 24 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:59,560 You can learn more about them by going to puroclean.com. 25 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:05,080 We want to welcome to Veterans Radio today Captain Drew DiMaria. 26 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:07,640 Drew, welcome to Veterans Radio. 27 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:08,640 Great to be here, Jim. 28 00:02:08,640 --> 00:02:09,640 Thanks for having us. 29 00:02:09,640 --> 00:02:13,960 It's such a unique opportunity as you stumbled across one of our magazines down in Southwest 30 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:14,960 Florida. 31 00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:15,960 So kudos to you. 32 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:17,920 And again, thanks for the opportunity. 33 00:02:17,920 --> 00:02:22,200 But we're glad, I don't think in the 21 years we've been doing this, we've ever talked to 34 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:26,120 somebody with your organization or title. 35 00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:31,920 You are the national president of the American Merchant Marine Veterans Association. 36 00:02:31,920 --> 00:02:38,000 Drew, how did a nice kid from Maine end up at the Maine Maritime Academy? 37 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:40,080 Well, that's a good question. 38 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:47,160 I stumbled across that particular industry crossing the Bay Bridge back and forth, living 39 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:49,400 and being born and raised in Baltimore. 40 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:53,160 Now I used to look out over the Bay Bridge off of Annapolis where the United States 41 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:58,240 Naval Academy is, and there was always an anchorage of these balkers, colliers. 42 00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:01,480 Colliers referring to carrying the commodity of coal. 43 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:06,280 There was some iron ore and of course other kinds of vessels that were in and out of Baltimore. 44 00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:13,560 So I just amazed me looking at that particular horizon of vessels and then there I go. 45 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:18,600 So 10th grade in high school, I went to city schools in Baltimore, polytechnic in my 10th 46 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:20,680 grade mechanical drawing teacher. 47 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:23,480 So let's have a job fair day. 48 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:29,160 So we put down our slide rolls and our pencils and we started talking about different careers 49 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:31,200 uniquely to Baltimore. 50 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:37,400 Similarly, uniquely to Michigan when you look at the Great Lakes, we are a maritime nation. 51 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:41,840 And when you look at Baltimore, we had many industries of three shipyards in the steel 52 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:43,880 mill, the vessel and steel. 53 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:49,640 And the history there speaks for itself in regards to being the industrial base of building 54 00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:51,140 vessels. 55 00:03:51,140 --> 00:03:54,200 And that dates back to World War II. 56 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:59,640 So next thing I know, I'm interested in going to one of the schools and I got involved with 57 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:03,680 doing some research and it was recommended up to me. 58 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:05,400 So here I am off to me. 59 00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:09,880 And we had a wonderful, I needed the discipline, young 18 year old, I didn't know what the 60 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:11,320 hell was going on. 61 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:17,160 So I needed that particular quasi military discipline and I even took a little extra 62 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:24,040 time doing it, but I stayed close to the curve of that and got through it. 63 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:28,480 And next thing I know, 30 years go by working from A.B. 64 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:33,400 Tankerman on tug and barges, working around the world on different class of vessels on 65 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:37,240 LNG carriers, that's the liquid natural gas carriers. 66 00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:41,520 They were vessels built right in the United States, Quincy, Massachusetts back in the 67 00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:42,520 70s. 68 00:04:42,520 --> 00:04:49,000 I enjoyed that run for 12 years working from third officer up to chief officer and things 69 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:50,000 get reallocated. 70 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:55,120 Corporate world does what they need to do to look at the bottom line sometimes and things 71 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:56,120 changed. 72 00:04:56,120 --> 00:05:00,360 And then of course, 9-11 changed the game for everyone. 73 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:06,960 And then you saw an onslaught of mariners, merchant mariners from all creeds all over 74 00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:12,800 the world carrying military cargo for the necessary build up there in the Middle East. 75 00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:19,080 And I find myself getting involved with that for 12 years just working my way up to captain. 76 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:23,160 So 30 years goes by pretty quick. 77 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:29,000 And in particular in regards to this organization you mentioned, American Merchantry Veterans, 78 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:32,440 in one of my poor's home, I'm having a couple of calls here. 79 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:37,600 I'm reading a local paper here in Southwest Florida, the town's called Cape Coral. 80 00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:42,840 And there's an advertisement, come join our calls, American Merchantry Veterans. 81 00:05:42,840 --> 00:05:47,000 I'm looking at this thing and I got to tell you, we all have a little brief history of 82 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:52,480 certain segments of our evolution of whether it's the wars, whether it's maritime, that's 83 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:56,040 my neck of the woods, traveling the world. 84 00:05:56,040 --> 00:05:59,280 And I'm looking at this group, Merchantry Marine Veterans. 85 00:05:59,280 --> 00:06:04,080 Well, it never dawned on me that there was an organization, nor that I ever see them 86 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:05,080 advertised. 87 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:10,400 So I call them up, I join, next thing you know I'm having lunches with these World War II 88 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:14,440 fellows that had sea stories that you can imagine. 89 00:06:14,440 --> 00:06:18,080 And I just took a lord of that and I was like, wow, what a cool group. 90 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:20,880 So we've had these lunches once a month. 91 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:28,320 And to fast forward to now, Jim, we have one man standing and there were all women involved 92 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:30,760 in the regards to the Merchantry Marine back in World War II. 93 00:06:30,760 --> 00:06:35,200 But we have one man standing left, he turns 99 soon. 94 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:38,240 And I just found a passion to join this group. 95 00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:43,240 Now I'm the national president and we're continuing with the legacy and education of 96 00:06:43,240 --> 00:06:44,240 this vital service. 97 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:50,480 Well, I think that's really why we've got you on, Drew, is I don't think the general 98 00:06:50,480 --> 00:06:57,040 public understands the role that Merchant Mariners played not only in World War II, but 99 00:06:57,040 --> 00:07:01,320 really in every conflict the United States has ever been in. 100 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:04,760 And as you mentioned, we're a maritime nation. 101 00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:06,360 You have to be a sea power. 102 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:10,760 China is recognizing its need to be a sea power. 103 00:07:10,760 --> 00:07:15,440 And there is talk about rebuilding the Navy, but you've got to have more shipyards, you've 104 00:07:15,440 --> 00:07:20,320 got to have more mariners, you've got to have more chiefs, mates, the whole thing. 105 00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:25,080 To get back to being a real maritime nation. 106 00:07:25,080 --> 00:07:28,760 And I want, you mentioned, I mentioned you went to the Maine Maritime Academy. 107 00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:33,040 There are a handful of these maritime academies. 108 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:35,400 There's one in the Great Lakes. 109 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:42,160 The United States has the US Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York. 110 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:50,280 So there's a whole industry, a whole educational and process by which one moves on up to the 111 00:07:50,280 --> 00:07:55,400 role that you have, which is a captain and a master mariner. 112 00:07:55,400 --> 00:08:06,440 But talk to us about why it's important for the nation to have this civilian maritime 113 00:08:06,440 --> 00:08:07,440 capability. 114 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:13,320 That's a great question and as a great lead in regards to how you highlighted some of 115 00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:14,320 the academies. 116 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:20,560 And if you will, let me bring in Massachusetts Maritime, New York Maritime, also called 117 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:25,520 SUNY Maritime, go down the coast and come around to the Gulf of what we're going to 118 00:08:25,520 --> 00:08:27,120 hear now, Gulf of America. 119 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:31,160 You got Texas Maritime and you got California Maritime. 120 00:08:31,160 --> 00:08:36,440 So when you look at these schools and how these schools were even initiated as far as 121 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:42,880 training, it was exclusively for what FDR, so I can do a Roosevelt saw. 122 00:08:42,880 --> 00:08:46,600 And during our industrial base, you're talking post Great Depression. 123 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:51,440 Now you're looking at here we are with the Lend-Lease Program, the importance, and I'm 124 00:08:51,440 --> 00:08:55,040 bringing in a couple of other subject matters pertaining to like what occurred in World 125 00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:58,040 War II, but the importance of the merchant marine. 126 00:08:58,040 --> 00:09:04,360 And if you look at the flag gym, you'll see in peace and war. 127 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:11,320 In peace time, you need a vital, vibrant industry, which includes not only the assets 128 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:15,120 that have been built in our industrial base and our shipyards, but you need to have the 129 00:09:15,120 --> 00:09:16,120 manning. 130 00:09:16,120 --> 00:09:19,600 You need to have the training of the specific trades of the mariners. 131 00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:25,360 And it doesn't just pertain to the academies, it pertains to the apprenticeship programs 132 00:09:25,360 --> 00:09:30,120 and the trades programs and what they call coming up through the folks. 133 00:09:30,120 --> 00:09:33,040 So when you say coming up through the folks, it'll come up through the horse pipe. 134 00:09:33,040 --> 00:09:36,600 Let me just say that the horse pipe is the proper terminology. 135 00:09:36,600 --> 00:09:42,400 So that means you come up from starting positions as an apprentice in whatever department, the 136 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:47,920 galley, the store department, the engine department, or the deck department. 137 00:09:47,920 --> 00:09:54,480 And I'm being kind of versed in regards to your direct question of what's the importance 138 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:59,000 to it, but the training is an incredibly important component. 139 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:06,580 The demand of having a forward deployed, having the presence of trade commercially, right, 140 00:10:06,580 --> 00:10:13,120 and more times than not, lately in my generation, we've carried what we call hybrid cargoes, 141 00:10:13,120 --> 00:10:16,160 where we also carry a military cargo. 142 00:10:16,160 --> 00:10:21,720 So with all the different kinds of traits and commodities and what we carry, the merchant 143 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:26,200 marine has always been an auxiliary to the US Navy. 144 00:10:26,200 --> 00:10:30,360 So again, it's more the definition why the merchant marine is important. 145 00:10:30,360 --> 00:10:38,600 You need to have a component of a supply chain, the vital supply chain of cargo to support 146 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:45,000 these conflicts and obviously the conflicts abroad or in a NATO kind of alliance or allied 147 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:52,720 forces that need these essential cargoes and not only do the military forces that are forward 148 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:59,600 deployed on the front lines, we're also bringing humanitarian aid for countries that we assisted 149 00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:02,000 prior to World War II going in. 150 00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:04,720 FDR didn't want the war. 151 00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:07,760 Nobody really wants to go to war, but you got to keep things in check. 152 00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:11,000 What we did back then was the Lend-Lease program. 153 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:12,960 Well we were given up ships. 154 00:11:12,960 --> 00:11:19,480 We were given hauling the proper provisions and all the supplies necessary to get Russia 155 00:11:19,480 --> 00:11:23,640 through its turmoil, to get Britain through its turmoil. 156 00:11:23,640 --> 00:11:27,400 So you know, the merchant marine is absolutely critical. 157 00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:29,760 It's a supply chain. 158 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:34,800 Yeah, you've really hit it there because I think since the pandemic, everybody has 159 00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:40,360 learned the word supply chain and logistics and it really is, that's what this is about, 160 00:11:40,360 --> 00:11:46,960 is being able to move massive amounts of material over the oceans to wherever our government 161 00:11:46,960 --> 00:11:48,480 may need them. 162 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:50,320 And this is not a new thing. 163 00:11:50,320 --> 00:11:56,400 I was sort of surprised when I saw the flag that represents the American merchant marine 164 00:11:56,400 --> 00:12:01,640 veterans and we're talking to its national president, Captain Drew DiMaria, but I didn't 165 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:05,760 know what the 1775 was about on the flag. 166 00:12:05,760 --> 00:12:07,560 You just told me, tell that story again. 167 00:12:07,560 --> 00:12:08,560 It's interesting. 168 00:12:08,560 --> 00:12:14,200 So the merchant marine has been around since the founding of our country. 169 00:12:14,200 --> 00:12:20,000 So prior, so we're talking the exact date, 1775, June 12th. 170 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:25,520 Now I don't want to mess around with any of our US Army folks and we always keep in our 171 00:12:25,520 --> 00:12:26,520 lane. 172 00:12:26,520 --> 00:12:31,040 June 12th is two days before June 14th, the birth of the Army. 173 00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:37,160 So June 12th indicative is General Washington understood that the armaments of the British 174 00:12:37,160 --> 00:12:43,680 were coming in and it just so happened that he ordered Captain Jeremiah O'Brien to man 175 00:12:43,680 --> 00:12:49,240 a sloop that was called the Unity up in Machiave Man. 176 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:51,440 And so they manned this with civilian mariners. 177 00:12:51,440 --> 00:12:57,280 They were called privateers back in the day and they manned this vessel of the Unity and 178 00:12:57,280 --> 00:13:04,240 one after the Marguerite, the British vessel Marguerite that was full of arms and whatnot. 179 00:13:04,240 --> 00:13:05,520 And we succeeded. 180 00:13:05,520 --> 00:13:12,800 We succeeded in that particular first onset of June 12th, 1775 of the merchant marine 181 00:13:12,800 --> 00:13:17,560 taking a position in the maritime front, conveying power. 182 00:13:17,560 --> 00:13:24,960 Now today, Jim, if you care to reflect on it, we're not an armed service, though in World 183 00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:29,520 War II, they did arm the vessels to have a little bit of a defense mechanism with a 184 00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:35,520 three inch or a five inch gun with a supplement of Navy armed guards on board. 185 00:13:35,520 --> 00:13:39,520 And I don't want to get ahead of ourselves, but you know, significance is that June 12th, 186 00:13:39,520 --> 00:13:40,520 1775. 187 00:13:40,520 --> 00:13:45,640 And here we go with the 250th anniversary of our United States merchant marine. 188 00:13:45,640 --> 00:13:50,680 Yeah, it's really interesting that the history reaches back all the way to George Washington 189 00:13:50,680 --> 00:14:01,280 and the recognized need to be able to move goods, supplies, armaments by sea. 190 00:14:01,280 --> 00:14:10,280 And in World War II, it really came to pass the involvement of the U.S. merchant marine 191 00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:11,280 fleet. 192 00:14:11,280 --> 00:14:17,440 A lot of them were sunk, the Germany understood what was going on. 193 00:14:17,440 --> 00:14:22,760 But it took a long time for Congress to sort of recognize that effort. 194 00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:31,280 And I think it was only in 1988 that those who served in the merchant marines received 195 00:14:31,280 --> 00:14:32,920 veteran status. 196 00:14:32,920 --> 00:14:37,880 And that's a little bit of what the organization was about, the American merchant marine veterans 197 00:14:37,880 --> 00:14:41,440 was working towards recognition, wasn't it? 198 00:14:41,440 --> 00:14:42,640 That's exactly right, Jim. 199 00:14:42,640 --> 00:14:48,000 You said that so well and leading into why the AMMV, American Merchant Marine Veterans 200 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:49,000 was founded. 201 00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:57,480 So 43 years after the war, January of 1988, they finally received veteran status. 202 00:14:57,480 --> 00:15:05,080 It took a long measure of the persuasion of the fact finding and all the statistics that 203 00:15:05,080 --> 00:15:06,080 occurred. 204 00:15:06,080 --> 00:15:14,360 But AMMV was founded by individuals, mariners, and their families that were so advocating 205 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:17,040 the cause of the merchant marine service. 206 00:15:17,040 --> 00:15:23,440 And what they did to be part of the winning combination in World War II that played out 207 00:15:23,440 --> 00:15:25,200 and they wanted to get the flag up. 208 00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:26,720 They wanted to get recognition. 209 00:15:26,720 --> 00:15:32,560 And with different economics of looking across the crew from captain to whitebird to ordinary, 210 00:15:32,560 --> 00:15:37,040 whoever you are, everybody has different definitions of the successes. 211 00:15:37,040 --> 00:15:42,600 But the one thing that remains solid to the AMMV cause, founded by the World War II back 212 00:15:42,600 --> 00:15:50,200 in 1984, right here in Lee County, Florida, and then it went across and it sprawled all 213 00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:56,200 across the country times 75 chapters over 5,000 members. 214 00:15:56,200 --> 00:15:57,640 And their cause was valiant. 215 00:15:57,640 --> 00:16:01,520 I mean, it was incredible with what they achieved. 216 00:16:01,520 --> 00:16:07,000 It took a long time to do it, 43 years after the war and finally getting veteran status. 217 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:09,960 And we continued to ring the bell. 218 00:16:09,960 --> 00:16:13,640 We continued to get recognition for these individuals. 219 00:16:13,640 --> 00:16:20,360 And of course, as you see the legacy, most of these individuals are, some are nearing 220 00:16:20,360 --> 00:16:21,360 100. 221 00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:24,040 We have one up in Pigeon Falls, Wisconsin. 222 00:16:24,040 --> 00:16:26,640 Reynolds Compton, he was 107. 223 00:16:26,640 --> 00:16:27,640 107. 224 00:16:27,640 --> 00:16:30,520 That's from straight good living. 225 00:16:30,520 --> 00:16:37,480 I got a fellow here with K Cool, it's turned in 99 and he still drives. 226 00:16:37,480 --> 00:16:39,200 He meets me for lunch. 227 00:16:39,200 --> 00:16:41,200 We go to the pub, have a beer. 228 00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:43,520 Well, there's the real reason. 229 00:16:43,520 --> 00:16:48,800 Well, I want to do two things before we run out of time. 230 00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:52,800 I want to tell everybody, if you're interested in this organization, if you've never heard 231 00:16:52,800 --> 00:16:56,080 of it, you need a place to start looking around. 232 00:16:56,080 --> 00:17:00,480 Go to ammv.us. 233 00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:05,760 That's the website, ammv.us. 234 00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:09,680 And I think one of the things I also want to try to get across here, Drew, maybe you 235 00:17:09,680 --> 00:17:13,840 want to talk a little bit about it. 236 00:17:13,840 --> 00:17:19,600 Being a mariner, as Ben, I'm sure for you after 30 years, a great career. 237 00:17:19,600 --> 00:17:22,840 You've seen the world, you've done all sorts of things. 238 00:17:22,840 --> 00:17:29,480 So for young men and women out there thinking, I got a little wanderlust, I want to do this. 239 00:17:29,480 --> 00:17:34,000 This may be an option, but it also creates an opportunity to serve your country when 240 00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:35,000 called upon. 241 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:40,440 As you said, you carried hybrid loads, but at other times, there'll be shipments that 242 00:17:40,440 --> 00:17:44,480 are just pure humanitarian loads or pure military loads. 243 00:17:44,480 --> 00:17:50,400 So talk a little bit about the career and the opportunity. 244 00:17:50,400 --> 00:17:51,840 That's a great question, Jen. 245 00:17:51,840 --> 00:17:57,080 So the opportunity in regards to coming aboard, and again, doesn't matter what your rank is. 246 00:17:57,080 --> 00:18:01,640 You can be anybody in the crew, but you're serving the calls of that vessel, serving 247 00:18:01,640 --> 00:18:05,800 the calls of, like you cited so well, serving the country. 248 00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:08,760 Could be humanitarian aid, could be an auxiliary to the Navy. 249 00:18:08,760 --> 00:18:11,960 And let's talk about the Brown Water Fleet. 250 00:18:11,960 --> 00:18:17,280 So we're talking about the hinterland, whether it be the Great Lakes, all our coastal communities. 251 00:18:17,280 --> 00:18:22,640 These were documented credentialed crew members that have gone through the disciplines of 252 00:18:22,640 --> 00:18:29,520 learning the trade of navigation, seamanship, engineering, hotel services working in the 253 00:18:29,520 --> 00:18:32,640 gallery, in the galley. 254 00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:38,960 So the younger folks looking at a trade or looking at a position of not only, you know, 255 00:18:38,960 --> 00:18:44,000 it's a good-paying position, normally all the rates across the board for all crew members, 256 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:48,160 it is an attractive way to make a living. 257 00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:53,000 We do give up time at home, whether it's two weeks on, two weeks off. 258 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:59,000 The tradeoff in regards to a heartfelt feeling of being amongst your crew, it's a second 259 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:00,600 family, right? 260 00:19:00,600 --> 00:19:03,640 But again, you can define it as you stated so well, Jen. 261 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:05,040 You are serving your country. 262 00:19:05,040 --> 00:19:10,680 And when you're looking at domestically, the trades around our coastlines, you are protecting 263 00:19:10,680 --> 00:19:12,600 homeland security. 264 00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:20,400 It is a front to national security to have credentialed US citizens working on our US 265 00:19:20,400 --> 00:19:21,800 flag vessels. 266 00:19:21,800 --> 00:19:23,920 There's all kinds of other things to talk about. 267 00:19:23,920 --> 00:19:25,800 We'll say that for a later show. 268 00:19:25,800 --> 00:19:28,680 But this is a blanket of security here. 269 00:19:28,680 --> 00:19:34,520 And then when you start going on foreign trade with long trips to different places around 270 00:19:34,520 --> 00:19:39,960 the world, a lot of times it is that hybrid cargo or it is that humanitarian need. 271 00:19:39,960 --> 00:19:44,760 So there's a multiple lore that got me attracted to it. 272 00:19:44,760 --> 00:19:50,200 We are trying like hell to become mentors and have an attraction to see cadets, Rossi 273 00:19:50,200 --> 00:19:57,800 programs across the board and the high school level and teach counselors, school counselors, 274 00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:04,000 college counselors that provide all your different kinds of programs for graduate studies or 275 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:08,680 undergraduate studies need to know that there's a big demand. 276 00:20:08,680 --> 00:20:10,680 And it's a great career path. 277 00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:14,440 And again, like you stated, it's serving your country. 278 00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:17,920 We have a couple of proposals going on before us in Congress. 279 00:20:17,920 --> 00:20:23,440 There's a new act with Senator Kelly and Congressman Garrett Mende and two others that got what 280 00:20:23,440 --> 00:20:26,320 they call the Ships for America Act. 281 00:20:26,320 --> 00:20:30,880 It's a pending piece of legislation, but it's very comprehensive and it talks about workforce 282 00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:32,280 development. 283 00:20:32,280 --> 00:20:34,840 Under that is what we're talking about, Jim. 284 00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:39,920 I'm a mentor to the younger generations and understanding from the high school level, 285 00:20:39,920 --> 00:20:43,760 whether you're interested in the academies or whether you're interested in entering at 286 00:20:43,760 --> 00:20:46,040 the apprenticeship level. 287 00:20:46,040 --> 00:20:49,160 It's quite a program and I had a great career. 288 00:20:49,160 --> 00:20:53,680 I really enjoyed, like I said, the second family and of course your serving the country. 289 00:20:53,680 --> 00:20:59,040 Well, and I think it's hard to attract younger folks into this career unless they've been 290 00:20:59,040 --> 00:21:00,840 exposed to it, right? 291 00:21:00,840 --> 00:21:03,160 So that's what we're doing a little bit here. 292 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:09,880 And you could go to ammv.us, go down and check them out a little bit. 293 00:21:09,880 --> 00:21:15,880 They've got a great set of magazines that pop up regularly. 294 00:21:15,880 --> 00:21:21,640 So there's a lot of information if you're sort of thinking, maybe this is a career for 295 00:21:21,640 --> 00:21:27,360 me and I like the idea that maybe at some point I can serve the country more. 296 00:21:27,360 --> 00:21:34,520 We are probably moving into a phase and whether that's the next 50 years or something where 297 00:21:34,520 --> 00:21:41,000 the country is getting back to the importance of the maritime environment. 298 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:46,440 More talk about domestic shipbuilding and everything that kind of goes with that. 299 00:21:46,440 --> 00:21:53,080 I don't know how many US flag vessels there are currently and why that's a challenge. 300 00:21:53,080 --> 00:21:58,120 But I kind of think we're the pendulum swinging back and you're going to have more activity 301 00:21:58,120 --> 00:22:02,000 in this area and more opportunities. 302 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:06,600 Are there other organizations you might point younger people to if they were interested 303 00:22:06,600 --> 00:22:09,160 in exploring the career? 304 00:22:09,160 --> 00:22:10,160 Absolutely. 305 00:22:10,160 --> 00:22:14,960 And I know in your NACADA Woods, it speaks highly for what the Great Lakes represents 306 00:22:14,960 --> 00:22:16,560 for the merchant marine. 307 00:22:16,560 --> 00:22:22,200 It's a huge industrial base and a huge opportunity for getting aboard vessels. 308 00:22:22,200 --> 00:22:26,160 And no matter what position you care to sail in, what entry level you wish to be. 309 00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:29,880 And of course, I need to mention the Great Lakes Maritime Academy as you did so well 310 00:22:29,880 --> 00:22:31,080 before. 311 00:22:31,080 --> 00:22:34,200 We have a great relationship with that academy. 312 00:22:34,200 --> 00:22:39,120 Superintendent Gerard Akenbach, he's an incredible supporter of ours. 313 00:22:39,120 --> 00:22:44,320 Let's go across to the spectrum of the entry level with the Seafarers International down 314 00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:46,000 at Priny Point, Maryland. 315 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:51,800 Seafarers International, they have the incredible education program for your entry levels of 316 00:22:51,800 --> 00:22:54,960 all departments, engine, deck, store department. 317 00:22:54,960 --> 00:22:58,480 Again, I mentioned the store department, so that's where you're working, your hotel 318 00:22:58,480 --> 00:23:05,920 services and the culinary, the culinary, the trade inside the galley cooking. 319 00:23:05,920 --> 00:23:10,080 But huge part, huge part, my dad was a cook in the Navy. 320 00:23:10,080 --> 00:23:15,880 He instilled in me the importance of the good meal, the social hour that you have. 321 00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:18,960 Jim, let me mention that real quick. 322 00:23:18,960 --> 00:23:21,280 Nobody on board is a passenger. 323 00:23:21,280 --> 00:23:22,280 That's right. 324 00:23:22,280 --> 00:23:23,280 Everybody's doing some work. 325 00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:25,280 Everybody's doing something right now. 326 00:23:25,280 --> 00:23:29,040 A lot of times you come home, they come off the ship, you've done four months at a time, 327 00:23:29,040 --> 00:23:30,040 three months, whatever it is. 328 00:23:30,040 --> 00:23:31,040 Oh, how's the cruise? 329 00:23:31,040 --> 00:23:34,040 Oh, yeah, it's a cruise all right. 330 00:23:34,040 --> 00:23:37,040 When is happy hour anyway? 331 00:23:37,040 --> 00:23:41,600 I want to point out something too that we've been able to talk to a lot of organizations 332 00:23:41,600 --> 00:23:46,320 over the years that have received the Congressional Gold Medal. 333 00:23:46,320 --> 00:23:51,240 And in 2020, Congress passed the Merchant Mariners of World War II Congressional Gold 334 00:23:51,240 --> 00:23:55,600 Medal Act to recognize the Merchant Mariners for their courage and contributions during 335 00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:56,600 the war. 336 00:23:56,600 --> 00:24:02,120 And every time we get to talk to an organization that has participated in this, the importance 337 00:24:02,120 --> 00:24:06,480 of that recognition is not so much for the individuals, because as you mentioned, they're 338 00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:08,360 kind of all dying out. 339 00:24:08,360 --> 00:24:10,480 It's really their family in the community. 340 00:24:10,480 --> 00:24:17,280 It's a recognition to the larger community of Mariners that the country recognizes this 341 00:24:17,280 --> 00:24:20,040 value. 342 00:24:20,040 --> 00:24:25,160 It really is something that when Congress can kind of coalesce around it and say, you 343 00:24:25,160 --> 00:24:29,640 know what, these guys are in gales, but these guys ought to be recognized. 344 00:24:29,640 --> 00:24:38,040 I suspect that's an important, you know, thumbtack in the wall for your organization that Congress 345 00:24:38,040 --> 00:24:40,800 gave them the gold medal. 346 00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:46,840 Jim, spoken so well again, and you highlight such a crucial plateau of an event that we 347 00:24:46,840 --> 00:24:47,840 partake in. 348 00:24:47,840 --> 00:24:51,240 We were a part of the design team with the U.S. Mint. 349 00:24:51,240 --> 00:24:55,760 We had World War II engaging with the design of the gold medal. 350 00:24:55,760 --> 00:24:56,760 And you're right. 351 00:24:56,760 --> 00:25:01,760 So it's indicative of the individual with the service record in getting a three-inch 352 00:25:01,760 --> 00:25:06,960 to the living World War II or an inch and a half to a posthumous award. 353 00:25:06,960 --> 00:25:10,040 You're absolutely so right to write that it's an award to the family. 354 00:25:10,040 --> 00:25:11,800 It's an award to the recognition. 355 00:25:11,800 --> 00:25:18,640 And just as I made them, over 9,000 Mariners were killed and 12,000 were wounded during 356 00:25:18,640 --> 00:25:19,640 the war. 357 00:25:19,640 --> 00:25:24,920 And we're talking thousands that remain in the watery grates. 358 00:25:24,920 --> 00:25:26,760 Many don't have any marker whatsoever. 359 00:25:26,760 --> 00:25:30,560 And there is her right in regards to the death of this recognition. 360 00:25:30,560 --> 00:25:31,560 And we're not done yet. 361 00:25:31,560 --> 00:25:35,840 When I say we're not done yet, the Maritime Administration is helping us out. 362 00:25:35,840 --> 00:25:41,600 And we're continuing to, again, to hold the bell and carry the torch in regards to these 363 00:25:41,600 --> 00:25:42,600 individuals. 364 00:25:42,600 --> 00:25:43,600 It's absolutely crucial. 365 00:25:43,600 --> 00:25:48,440 Let me mention something about the gold medal and so much as you look at the depth of those 366 00:25:48,440 --> 00:25:56,360 wounded and it highlights in that piece of legislation that was passed is a medal citation 367 00:25:56,360 --> 00:26:02,000 given to Mariners that were wounded, killed, or impacted by the war. 368 00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:07,040 Well, guess what we have that everybody knows, Jim, is the Purple Heart. 369 00:26:07,040 --> 00:26:10,640 Everybody knows what the Purple Heart looks like, knows why somebody receives it, and 370 00:26:10,640 --> 00:26:17,080 we honor and cherish those who have signed that blank check and they're the armed services. 371 00:26:17,080 --> 00:26:24,160 The Merchant Marine is that gray area of not understanding that back in the World War II, 372 00:26:24,160 --> 00:26:26,760 they had a medal called the Mariners Medal. 373 00:26:26,760 --> 00:26:31,160 And that was indicative very similarly like the Purple Heart. 374 00:26:31,160 --> 00:26:33,840 And yet it's not spoken of or not understood. 375 00:26:33,840 --> 00:26:39,880 There are so many families that have questions in regards to, you know, grandfather or grandfather, 376 00:26:39,880 --> 00:26:43,280 you know, somebody that's out there in the watery grave. 377 00:26:43,280 --> 00:26:46,080 And it'll be an endless amount of recognition. 378 00:26:46,080 --> 00:26:49,440 Just so you know, when you highlight our website, we're working on a convention in Norfolk 379 00:26:49,440 --> 00:26:51,000 first week of April. 380 00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:55,000 We have the Memorial Day Reflang at the Tomb of the Unknown. 381 00:26:55,000 --> 00:26:59,240 And then we're out on the West Coast outside the Golden Gate in the Presidio where the 382 00:26:59,240 --> 00:27:06,080 American Dotto Monuments Commission is installing a marker to represent and cherish the ones 383 00:27:06,080 --> 00:27:08,720 that never made at home from the Pacific Theater. 384 00:27:08,720 --> 00:27:13,880 So we're doing what we can to beat the drum and talk about this legacy, but I really 385 00:27:13,880 --> 00:27:17,960 appreciate you bringing up the Gold Medal and that's recognitions that will continue 386 00:27:17,960 --> 00:27:18,960 on. 387 00:27:18,960 --> 00:27:25,320 Well, I want to close out by pointing out to folks that there were nearly 250,000 civilian 388 00:27:25,320 --> 00:27:29,480 merchant mariners that took part in World War II. 389 00:27:29,480 --> 00:27:35,560 As Captain Drew Damadia mentioned, over 9,500 lost their lives. 390 00:27:35,560 --> 00:27:40,480 And according to the National World War II Museum, that's a higher proportion than those 391 00:27:40,480 --> 00:27:43,160 killed in any military branch. 392 00:27:43,160 --> 00:27:47,040 So it was a dangerous job. 393 00:27:47,040 --> 00:27:50,120 That's why we're talking, this is history that people have forgotten. 394 00:27:50,120 --> 00:27:53,480 We wanted to bring it forward to our veteran radio listeners. 395 00:27:53,480 --> 00:27:58,360 But it also ripples forward, we can see where this is going into the future. 396 00:27:58,360 --> 00:28:03,200 And that's why we also wanted to talk to Captain Drew Damadia, National President of 397 00:28:03,200 --> 00:28:06,800 the American Merchant Mariners Veterans Organization. 398 00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:11,200 Drew, we really do appreciate you taking a little time with us today. 399 00:28:11,200 --> 00:28:14,720 Oh, Jim, I can't thank you enough. 400 00:28:14,720 --> 00:28:19,040 God bless your organization and the fact that you come across our magazine and next thing 401 00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:24,360 you know, we're talking, it's a worthy cause, you have a worthy cause on veterans radio. 402 00:28:24,360 --> 00:28:25,360 Keep it up. 403 00:28:25,360 --> 00:28:30,480 And I hope to maybe we revisit and talk about another aspect of the Merchant Marine. 404 00:28:30,480 --> 00:28:31,840 It's a great career path. 405 00:28:31,840 --> 00:28:32,840 You got it, Drew. 406 00:28:32,840 --> 00:28:33,840 Thank you. 407 00:28:33,840 --> 00:28:37,400 And I want to thank everybody for listening to Veterans Radio today. 408 00:28:37,400 --> 00:28:38,840 I am Jim Fossone. 409 00:28:38,840 --> 00:28:41,280 It's been a pleasure to be your host. 410 00:28:41,280 --> 00:28:45,160 I'm a Veterans Disability Lawyer at Legal Help for Veterans. 411 00:28:45,160 --> 00:28:53,600 And you can reach us at 800-693-4800 or LegalHelpForVeterans.com on the web. 412 00:28:53,600 --> 00:28:58,480 You can 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