As I explained
in the introduction to this project, I've selected a different
era for each of the services. This is so that not only are all
the services honored, but the major conflicts of the 20th &
21st Centuries are also depicted.
For the Merchant
Marines, I elected to depict their contribution to the Korean
War. |
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The Story behind
the painting
In time of war the Merchant Marines is an auxiliary to the US
Navy and can be called upon to deliver troops and supplies for
the military. During the Korean War, the Merchant Marines brought
approximately 75 % of the personnel to the war zone along with
about 90 % of the supplies, including mail, food and ammunition.
In December of 1950, 64 Merchant Ships participated in the evacuation
of Hungnam during the Chosin Reservoir campaign. (www.usmm.org/hungnamships.html)
Approximately 350,000 tons of cargo, 17,500 vehicles and over
100,000 military personnel were removed. Also escaping North Korea
and the on coming Communist Chinese were more than 90,000 Korean
refugees. On December 22, the SS Meredith Victory, a 455-foot
Victory class Freighter of the Moore-McCormack Lines, which had
been carrying supplies to American Servicemen on behalf of the
Navy, arrived in Hungnam.
That night, the SS Meredith Victory began taking refugees aboard.
Men, women and children boarded the ship throughout the night.
As dawn approached, there were 14,000 people aboard a ship that
was designed to hold 60 people at best. With little food or water,
in frigid temperatures and with no sanitary facilities, Captain
La Rue, his crew and passengers set sail for South Korea. The
ship sailed through waters that were heavily mined and patrolled
by enemy submarines. After a 500 mile journey, they were turned
away at the port of Pusan. They traveled another 50 miles where
they finally arrived at the island of Koje Do on Christmas day.
The next day, with the assistance of the US Navy, all the refugees
were safely taken ashore along with the 5 babies who were born
on the ship.
The Meredith Victory became known as The Ship of Miracles and
is one of the few Gallant Award winning ships. The Department
of Transportation along with the Guinness Book of Records declared
the voyage as the greatest single rescue in history.
To learn more about the Meredith Victory you can go to
www.meredithvictory.com --- and/or --- www.shipofmiracles.com
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