World War II was raging and Vince Patterson wanted to join the Navy. But at age 16, he couldn’t without his parents’ permission.
Then he learned the United States Merchant Marine – an auxiliary arm of the Navy – was so desperate for manpower they’d take anyone age 16-80 who could help transport war supplies on cargo ships across the globe. Plus, he could tell his parents it was less dangerous.
“We’ve got thousands and thousands of miles of ocean to get our troops, our tanks, our ammunition, oil, gasoline, food supplies – everything you need for war – across. This is where the Merchant Marine came in. We were the logistics of World War II,” Patterson said. “We supplied 270 million tons of supplies over the war years. That adds up to 4,000 tons, every hour, every day throughout the war, 24-7.”
Patterson quickly learned his role in the war was just as perilous, if not more, than many others serving their country.
The U.S. Merchant Marine had one of the highest casualty rates of World War II, with more than 9,000 deaths out of about 250,000 service members, according to Patterson. Another 11,000 mariners were wounded and more than 700 taken as prisoners of war, he said.