Stamps Commemorate Misunderstood Merchant Marine

'An Overdue Honor:' Stamps Commemorate Misunderstood Merchant Marine

All-volunteer maritime industry is recognized as the backbone of America's growth and strength, and unsung heroes of World War II.

By Bruce Goldfarb
July 29, 2011

Aboard the John W. Brown docked at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor--one of only two Liberty ships remaining out of a fleet of more than 2,700 built during World War II--people line up to buy an everyday household item, but one that holds special symbolism.

For Friday and Saturday, the venerable ship has been designated a special post office by the U.S. Postal Service. On Thursday, USPS issued a set of “forever” first-class stamps to commemorate the U.S. Merchant Marine, and they were going fast.

Since America’s founding, the maritime industry was integral to the nation’s growth and security, said Postal Service Vice President Jim Cochrane at a July 28 ceremony at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Port, NY.

The stamps “pay homage not only to the ships, but to also to the valor of the thousands of dedicated members of the U.S. Merchant Marine who served their country and served it honorably,” Cochrane said in a USPS statement.
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Stamps Commemorate Misunderstood Merchant Marine