My dad, who would be 98 today, was in the Army when it was announced the Merchant marines needed men to serve on the ships. He and my uncle signed over and was on one of the few ships that made it through the North Atlantic without getting hit by German U-Boats, delivering supplies to the British. They made two safe trips to the UK on the John Ireland. The next trip they went into a mined harbor in Naples delivering supplies after the Germans were pushed back. Dad was in the middle of the Atlantic when Pearl Harbor was hit. When they got back to the states, they were docked up until further orders came down, they never did, the war was ended and him and my uncle came home without incident. They were very lucky! PJ