FReeper Canteen ~ National Maritime Day (May 22nd) ~ 23 May 2016

Serving The Best Troops and Veterans In The World !! | The Canteen Crew

[Kathy in Alaska]

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~

~ National Maritime Day (May 22nd) ~

STEAMSHIP SAVANNAH - 1819

On May 22, 1819, the SS Savannah left its home port of Savannah, Georgia on its way to Liverpool, England. The ship "put to sea with steam and sails" and reached Liverpool in 29 days and four hours, becoming the first steamship to cross the Atlantic. While the steam engine performed faultlessly, it was not the only means of propulsion; historians have estimated that the Savannah was under sail 80% of the time. Nonetheless, it was an impressive achievement, one that signaled the beginning of the era of steam, and American technological leadership. The holiday was created by the United States Congress on May 20, 1933.

Canteen Mission Statement

Showing support and boosting the morale of
our military and our allies military
and family members of the above.
Honoring those who have served before.

UNITED STATES MERCHANT MARINE ACADEMY

The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), established in 1943, is operated by the Maritime Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The mission of the Academy, located on 82-waterfront acres 20 miles from New York City, is to educate and graduate officers and leaders of honor and integrity to serve in America's merchant marine, maritime and intermodal transportation industries, and the Armed Forces.

Click for the rest of the story

US MERCHANT MARINE IN VIETNAM

In February 1951 the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) aircraft carrier Windham Bay, was the first large ship to navigate the Long Tam River since 1925. While the ship was docked at Saigon (French Indochina) 17 hand grenades were tossed at the ship by terrorists.

The Military Sea Transportation Service was established in 1949 to provide sea transportation to the military as a successor to the Army Transportation Service. MSTS operated a fleet of ships and had charter agreements with commercial shipping firms. MSTS was succeeded by Military Sealift Command.

In 1954, after the partitioning of Vietnam, MSTS evacuated Vietnamese refugees from North to South Vietnam. USNS Howze was one of many MSTS ships involved in "Passage to Freedom" bringing 300,000 refugees and 200,000 tons of Cargo from North Vietnam. [Your webmistress arrived in the United States in 1949 on the USAT General R. L. Howze as a refugee of World War II.]

The Military Sea Transportation Service had the job of bringing war supplies to Vietnam -- 10,000 miles from the Pacific coast. MSTS had four separate customers to serve: the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps. MSTS ships were staffed by "civilian" crews, but carried 95% of the supplies used by our Armed Forces in Vietnam including bombs and ammunition into combat zones under fire. Crew members were given Navy grades and rank identification in event of enemy capture. During Vietnam, MSTS first utilized roll-on/roll-off ships and container ships which speeded loading and unloading.

Click for the rest of the story

US MERCHANT MARINE IN WORLD WAR II

One way to understand the Second World War is to appreciate the critical role of merchant shipping... the availability or non-availability of merchant shipping determined what the Allies could or could not do militarily.... when sinkings of Allied merchant vessels exceeded production, when slow turnarounds, convoy delays, roundabout routing, and long voyages taxed transport severely, or when the cross-Channel invasion planned for 1942 had to be postponed for many months for reasons which included insufficient shipping.

Had these ships not been produced, the war would have been in all likelihood prolonged many months, if not years. Some argue the Allies would have lost as there would not have existed the means to carry the personnel, supplies, and equipment needed by the combined Allies to defeat the Axis powers. [It took 7 to 15 tons of supplies to support one soldier for one year.] The U.S. wartime merchant fleet. . . constituted one of the most significant contributions made by any nation to the eventual winning of the Second World War.

In the final assessment, the huge US merchant fleet... provided critical logistical support to the war effort.

Click for the rest of the story

In spite of their service and their sacrifices, merchant mariners were not accorded veterans' benefits, and for many years were excluded from celebrations of Veterans' Day, Memorial Day, and other days recognizing members of the Armed Forces. One merchant marine veteran who felt the exclusion very keenly was Walter Oates, who became Public Affairs Officer at the Maritime Administration. The Maritime Administration is the successor agency to the War Shipping Administration, which oversaw the shipbuilding and merchant marine operations in World War II. Mr. Oates was a wartime graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, the only one of the federal service academies to send its students into war before graduation. One hundred forty-two of those students were killed in the war, and one of them had been Mr. Oates's roommate.

In 1970, at the instigation of Mr. Oates, the Maritime Administration sponsored an observance of Maritime Day, a solemn ceremony honoring veterans of the merchant marine, and those who gave their lives in service to the United States. That observance has been held every year since then.

After a long court battle, merchant marine veterans were accorded some rights and privileges of veterans on January 19, 1988. Ten years after that, in 1998, in recognizing veterans from the Persian Gulf War, Congress included more rights and privileges for veterans of the merchant marine. The U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C., dedicated in 1987, integrates recognition of the U.S. Merchant Marine. At the dedication of the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., in 2004, Maritime Administrator William G. Schubert represented the merchant marine as chief of service.

Please remember that The Canteen is here to support
and entertain our troops and veterans and their families,
and is family friendly.

[E.G.C.]

A very pleasant good Monday morning to everyone at the Canteen and to all our military at home and abroad. thanks for your service to our country.

All is well here in Comanche OK. we were under a Tornado Warning for a few minutes due to rotation in a storm out by Temple but the storms appear to have movedast us.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good morning, E...((HUGS))...glad the storm has moved on.

You and Bo enjoy your Monday and stay safe!

[Kathy in Alaska]

[Kathy in Alaska]

Thanks, unique.

radu.....#100!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Prayers for Arrowhead's recovery, and in his absence....

[Kathy in Alaska]

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good afternoon/evening/night Troops, wherever you are.

Thank you for doing your part to help keep all of us free and safe.

Thanks, unique, for the pastries.

Coffee is always on........

[Kathy in Alaska]

God bless and keep safe our troops worldwide.

Good night.

Statler Brothers ~ How Great Thou Art

[E.G.C.]

Thanks, Kathy.((HUGS))

Monday Morning Coffee Bump.

[radu]

Oh MAN! Chok-lit overload! M&Ms in a Twixt bowl! *thud*

Good night and sleep well, Kathy. Once again, all appendages are crossed for luck that you have a Monday that goes smoothly. One of these weeks, it’s gonna work. :-)

[beachn4fun]

Good morning, Canteen.

Good morning to our

Military, our Allies, and their families.

Thank you, Ma, for preparing the Canteen
for today’s activities.
Thanks SR for sharing the graphic.

It was nice to get some history
on Merchant Marines.

Excuse me while I rant!!!

WHY? why is it still raining here?
I'm sick of it!
Our yard has becoming a muddy, wet sponge!
I'm tired of trying to dry off two dogs;
one of whom is a puppy who wants
to play outside and doesn't care about getting wet;
stepping in the mud; laying in wet grass;
chasing tail in water puddles...UGH!
And now we'll be in for some
HOT and humid days this week.
I could have predicted this one.

Rain, rain, go away and
come back after we've dried out!

But please stay right where you are.
Chat up the military or a family member.
No need to fret...you know I'll be back!

The FR Canteen is

Come in and sit for a while.
There's always plenty of coffee, tea,
pancakes, conversation, silliness,
and plain old BS

REMEMBER THEM ~ DEFENDERS OF FREEDOM

FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT

Showing support and boosting the morale of our military and our allied military and the family members of the above. Honoring those who have served before.

[left that other site]

I’m so sorry you are going through this.

I know how difficult it can be.

[PROCON]

Hi Beachie!

Cheer up Beachie, the rain won't last forever. Summer's on the way! (Do you feel better now? :-))

Son and I are getting together a bit more frequently now that he's not as busy; heading back out to the range soon too.

Decent Spring weather here for us, a little less sunny that usual.

Have a great day, Beachie!

[E.G.C.]

((HUGS))Good morning, Beach. I just finished the grass cutting for this week. How’s it going for your this morning?

[SkyDancer]

Hai - crab and corn on the cob and sloppy sloppy sloppy. LOL

[luvie]

Egad! Glad there were no tornadoes in the rotation! Anyway, you and Bo have a great day and hope you can make it out to the lake later this afternoon!

[luvie]

*thud* That’s the ticket! :)

[luvie]

Well! You got the rain...
...we got the clouds, beachy!
But glad we didn't get yesterday's area storm!
It had a tornado in it! EEK!
Went east of us...and I hope no one was hurt!
Anyhoooooo....let's have tea! [or coffee]
It's Monday AND it's a day off!
One of three in a row! WOOHOO!
Hope all of YOU have a Mahv'lus Monday!
...and don't work too hard! [Kathy!!]
((((hugs))))

[beachn4fun]

Good morning Pro ((HUGS))

I feel a tad better now that it’s not (currently) raining. The sun is battling with the clouds, at the moment. Got errands ran and now getting a quick lunch.

Going into the 80s this week; more fence painting.

Glad son-boy is spending more time with you now that school is out. Hope you can plan a couple of day trips while he’s out of school. And the gun range is a must.

Have a wonderfulicious Monday.

[beachn4fun]

Good morning night owl ((HUGS))

Got errands ran and now getting a quick lunch. It’s not (currently) raining (maybe I need to have more tantrums? LOL). The sun is battling with the clouds, at the moment, and this week, 80s (rolling eyes).

Happy Monday and get some rest on your day off.