The Merchant Marine are civilians.
The merchant marine was active ... from the Confederate commerce raiders of the American Civil War, to the assaults on Allied commerce in the First and in the Second World Wars. 3.1 million tons of merchant ships were lost in World War II. Mariners died at a rate of 1 in 24, which was the highest rate of casualties of any service. All told, 733 American cargo ships were lost and 8,651 of the 215,000 who served perished in troubled waters and off enemy shores.
But they are not soldiers.
Neither I or the post I responded to said anything about ‘merchant marine’ that I can see. That is confusing the point. My numbers were for Marines, Navy and Army Air Corps (Air Force).