Stories Behind The Stars: Merchant Marine faced deadliest odds in WWII

By John J. Turanin

For the MVI

During World War II, the highest rate of lives lost wasn’t by the military. It was America’s all-volunteer Merchant Marine. Volunteer sailors in the U.S. Merchant Marine died at three times the rate of those in the Navy. They were 90% more likely to lose their lives than those in the Army, and 35% more likely than the Marines. More than 700 U.S. merchant ships were sunk by enemy submarines, surface ships, underwater mines and aircraft. Nearly 10,000 Merchant Mariners never returned. 

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