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News Dues: Lets keep our membership numbers intact by paying our annual dues before June 30, 2009. Dues remain at $30.00 per year for a full membership and $20.00 per year for an associate membership. In addition, an At Large membership may be had for $20 per year with that amount being sent to the National AMMV. An At Large member is not a member of the Sarasota-Manatee Chapter. Please remember that any person who has sailed in the merchant fleet of this or another country or a veteran of any of the Armed Services, or a wife or widow of a member are eligible to become a member of the AMMV.. Send dues to; William Hepburn, Treasurer Sarasota-Manatee Chapter AMMV 4305 19th Avenue W Bradenton, FL. 34209 Make dues payable to: Sarasota-Manatee Chapter AMMV Your attention to this will be greatly appreciated. |
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Chapter Officers
CEO:
Jim Waters
VP:
Aaron Varn
Chaplain:
Vernon Bass
Treasurer:
Bill Hepburn
Asst Treasurer:
Vivian Hepburn
Secretary:
Peggy Van Gemert
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Links Section
 | VETERANS COUNCIL |
| AMERICAN MM AT WAR |
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ACTIVITIES
- Help for merchant seaman
- Support restoration of the S.S. American Victory
- Legislation for American flag ships.
- Support the Manatee County Veterans Council.
- Support Sarasota County Veterans Commission.
- Support Passage of the Just Compensation Bill in Congress
- The bill is still stalled in the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee controlled by the wily Hawaiian, Senator Akaka. It’s hard to see him doing anything favorable for our Bill.
His favored bill, Compensation for Filipino Veterans of WWII which was passed in February 2009, is not bearing fruit as fast as the Filipino veterans anticipated. It was reported that less than 10% had been acknowledged after submitting their applications. Perhaps the reason for this is because all applications must go through the Manila, P.I. Office where apparently their records reside. We should take a good look at their progress as if we do get Just Compensation passed into law, we can expect the same lag time. Sure, it might be retroactive once the application is made but will you ever see any fruit before you join those Mariners who have passed from our earthly scene? Consider our average age at 84-85 and the possibility of receiving this compensation, even if the bill was passed today, is slightly slim. Those of us still going strong have passed the average life expectancy for males in the good old U. S. of A. It’s something to think about.
Rufus Hernandez, CEO of the Central California Chapter of the AMMV had this to say in their recent newsletter. The American Legion had a feature story - We Deliver the Goods- with a cover dated September 2005. Unfortunately the American Legion has never been pro-active on our behalf, they remain mute. The American Legion held their annual convention of 2005 in Fresno. A fellow mariner and I tried to introduce a resolution for the American Merchant Marine Veterans. We went the procedure of writing the resolution, but when it came time to introduce it - we were not allowed to introduce it. They are no better than the VFW or the DAV.
Well, as I remembered it, the American Legion had once said they took no position on Just Compensation for WWII Mariners. But to be sure, I accessed the statement of Ian DePlanque, Asst. Director, Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation Commission, The American Legion in the statement he made before the Committee on Veterans Affairs, U.S. Senate on April 29, 2009. I’ll eliminate the gobbledegook and get to the main part of his statement. “The American Legion has no standing position on this piece of legislation. However, it is general policy of the American Legion to voice concerns about provisions which set up one class of veterans in an exclusionary manner to other groups or classes of veterans. It has long been The American Legion’s position that a veteran is a veteran regardless of branch of service or occupational specialty. All of the men and women who have answered the call to serve their country are equal veterans and thus deserve equitable treatment under the law.” Mighty fine words. But they sure do indicate a double standard. Or is it doubletalk? You be the judge.
- Congress has authorized an appropriation that will allow Priority Group 8 to open up. This priority group has been closed since January 18, 2003. Priority Group 8 concerns veterans whose incomes exceed the current VA means test and geographic means test incomes thresholds by 10% or less.
Merchant Marine veterans are eligible to apply for either Priority Group 7 or Priority Group 8 benefits. To be eligible for Priority Groups 1 through 6, you would have had to have a military-related disability which was not available to a Merchant Marine veteran. Priority Group 7 is open to those that meet the VA means criteria while Priority Group 8 is available for those whose incomes exceed the VA means test.
For those of you who have not filed for VA benefits, we suggest you do so as soon as possible as there is bound to be a waiting period. From my own experience, it took 11 months of waiting after I made my application before I was accepted. When accepted, I was informed that Bay Pines had a waiting list of over 18,000 veterans waiting to get into the system. Other geographic areas might have more, or less, waiting time. Which is why it is important that you apply immediately at any VA CBOC (community based outpatient clinic) office. If you have high expenses for prescription drugs, you would benefit from getting them through the VA. Their nominal co-pay charge is $8 per month per prescription. As a recognized veteran of WWII, you have earned the right to the services offered by the VA. It is in your best interest to take advantage of this benefit.
- On 28 January, 1980, at approximately 2021 EST, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Blackthorn and the U.S. tankship Capricorn collided in Tampa Bay near the junction of Cut "A" and Millers Key Channel. As a result of the impact, the port anchor of Capricorn became imbedded in Blakthorn's port side. The momentum of the two v essels caused the Capricorn's port anchor chain to become taut and resulted in the capsizing of the Blackthorn. The Capricorn grounded on the north side of Cut "A" channel and the Blackthorn sunk in the Cut "A" channel. Twenty-seven Blackthorn crew members were rescued, however, twenty three crew members perished. There were no personnel casualties aboard the Capricorn.
The Blackthorn Memorial Committee will observe the 30th Annual Service of Remembrance at the Monument in Blackthorn Memorial Park, US19S/I-275S on Thursday, 28 of January. The srvice will begin at 1100 and should last about one-hour. Admiral Thad Allen, U. S. Coast Guard Commandant will be the guest speaker.
The ceremony is open to the public. Various service groups will commemorate the anniversary by placing wreaths upon the water.
- Most of the WWII mariners remember the U. S. Marine hospitals that were run by the U S Public Health Service. None are in existence as Marine hospitals today. And don’t confuse the name with being related to the Marine Corps. The Marine hospitals were created by an act of the 5th Continental Congress and was signed into law on July 16, 1798 by President John Adams. The Act required the Department of the treasury to provide relief and maintenance of disabled seamen. This Act led to the formation of several loosely-controlled hospitals at sea and river ports all across the United States, which was officially the Marine Hospital Fund. The Act specified the revenue for the Hospital Fund to come from the merchant seamen. Merchant seamen that used the early hospital fund hospitals were charged “20 cents per month“. The Marine Hospital Fund was a unique and early mechanism to provide the first publicly funded health care and disease prevention federal agency in the United States.
Over time, the hospitals of the service were also expanded to include research and preventive work as well as the care of patients. Aside from merchant seamen, members of the military, immigrants, Native Americans, other federal beneficiaries, and people affected by chronic and epidemic diseases found a source for health care in the PHS and its hospitals.
During the Nixon administration, funding was cut to the PHS hospitals programs and many of these institutions closed or were turned over to local public health offices. Eight survived as federal institutions until the early 1980s when further budget cuts put an end to their funding. Some, such as the one in Savannah, GA. continued as outpatient health clinics while others, such as the large hospital in San Francisco on the grounds of the U.S. Army Presidio, were diverted to other Federal and military uses. In the case of the Presidio, the PHS hospital was used as a site for language training for military officers in the late 1980s.
The above was taken from the website of Wikipedia but does conform to the actual history, in an abbreviated manner from the more lengthy version of the history of the U S Marine Hospitals.
Editorial Comment: I have included the history of the U S Marine Hospital to show another facet of the federal government divesting itself of an efficient merchant marine since the end of WWII. Not only did they sterilize the merchant seamen but actually fostered the registry of ships to a foreign shore. This was done by former federal officials such as a former Secretary of State setting up the Marshall Islands as a country of registry. Instead of attempting to maintain a sufficient Jones Acted-U.S. Flag fleet, we gave it away to the world without any thought of its effect on this country in the future. So, today we are a second rate maritime nation. When I last checked our world standing several years ago, we had moved up to 12th spot. Which was great as the first time I checked this statistic, we were in 18th place. Today we are so slim in numbers of U.S. flag merchant vessels that the Merchant Marine Academy has made agreements with foreign registered vessels to allow their cadet midshipmen to spend their required time aboard a ship in actual operation. Seeing as how it is said that 90% of world commerce goes by ship, we sure have cut our own throats in vessel registries.
The Chapter passed a motion to make available 30 copies of the revised Constitution and By-Laws of the AMMV as amended at the 2009 convention. The copies are free to members in good standing who request them. To receive a copy, contact Jim Waters. Finally, proof of pay stopping when a ship goes down. The Susquehanna Valley Mariners Chapter AMMV published a copy of a Certificate of Discharge for a Kermit R. Steffy, messman, aboard the SS Horace Bushnell which was torpedoed by the German submarine U-995 at 0815 GCT on March 20, 1945 while enroute from Guorock Scotland to Murmansk, Russia in convoy JW-65. The certificate states the date of shipment as being 1/18/45 and the date of discharge states 3/20/45 with place of dscharge "At Sea." Mon Valley Chapter of the AMMV has a supply of American made WWII Merchant Marine Veteran caps. The details are embroidered. The cost per cap is $10 delivered. Anyone who would like to order one should see Aaron Varn.
Next Meeting
- The next meeting will be Wednesday, January 27, 2010. Luncheon starts at 11:30 AM. Meeting will start promptly at 12:30 PM. Meetings will continue to be held at Stacey's Buffet, 4848 14th Street W, Bradenton.
