‘Giving their lives’: Merchant Marine vets seek compensation, recognition
Belleville news Democrat
Mike Fitzgerald
August 15, 2015
When Orville Sova, 88, returned to the metro-east after years overseas serving his country during World War II, he was welcomed home with neither parades nor medals.
Unlike other veterans of his generation, Sova was not eligible for the GI Bill, VA medical care or even burial in a military cemetery.
The reason: Sova served as a sailor with United States Merchant Marine, the civilian-run cargo arm of the U.S. war machine that delivered troops and war supplies to war theaters from Siberia to Australia.
Even though Sova and his fellow mariners played an essential role in winning the war; and even though they served under some of the harshest conditions and in some of the most dangerous war zones, in the eyes of the U.S. government, Sova was still a civilian — and therefore entitled to nothing.
Seven decades after the end of World War II, the lack of recognition and denial of benefits for his wartime service still rankles Sova, a Collinsville resident.
“Every merchant seaman you see floating around today has this fire in their belly because we didn’t get recognition,” Sova said. “We should’ve got it.”
read more here
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Merchant Marine veterans fight for recognition
Thank you for carrying this story. If you want to help get these men compensation, you can write your congressmen using this easy fill in form and submit. It will go directly to your representative. It is sponsored by NAUS and is a safe site. Thank you all!
ReplyDeleteSheila M. Sova
Please tell your Congressman/woman to sponsor HR563 Honoring our Merchant Mariners Act of 2015! Use NAUS to send!
http://capwiz.com/naus/issues/alert/?alertid=64051356 …