The Forgotten Heroes : The Heroic Story of the United States Merchant Marine

From Booklist
This somewhat jumbled but eloquent plea for recognition of the U.S. Merchant Marine veterans of World War II is by the son of the creator of the science fiction classic Dune, who was one of those veterans. The core of the book narrates the merchant sailor's perils and achievements during the war, as derived partly from anecdotes, many of which will be familiar to seasoned maritime readers, and partly from the wartime experiences of one Dean Beaumont and his liberty ship. Herbert then proceeds to state the case of his heroes by recording the neglect and discrimination merchant mariners suffered and offering suggestions for just restitution even at this late date. He skips from incident to incident and from theme to theme and doesn't always portray the larger strategic picture within which the merchant marine operated as assuredly as he does the merchant mariner in peril at sea and destitute on land. Still, he convincingly renders the merchant marine's wartime service as a triumph of production, persistence, and heroism. Roland Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Book Description
The United States Merchant Marine has a tradition---from the Revolutionary War to the present-day Gulf conflicts---of being in the forefront of every American military action. They have served with distinction in every case. Brian Herbert has chronicled the amazing exploits of these gallant seamen, assembling a fascinating array of data to describe the world of the Merchant Marine in peace and especially in war.

Drawing from historical documents, government records, diaries, and interviews with surviving veterans, Herbert has constructed a brilliant history that details the heroism, self-sacrifice, and grim determination that has been the hallmark of the United States Merchant Marine. He also reveals one of the great injustices of American history---the grave failure of our legislators that has allowed the veterans of the Merchant Marine to become the forgotten heroes of World War II

The civilian fighters of the Merchant Marine performed feats of extraordinary bravery during World War II; they were the lifeline of the entire Allied war effort, delivering troops, materiel, food, fuel, and every essential needed for victory over the Axis enemy. While executing these duties, the Merchant Marine suffered losses so high that the casualty rates were kept secret.

At the war's end, the men and women of every other branch of the service were honored by parades and given medical and educational benefits. But the members of the Merchant Marine, who were so vital to our victory, have received neither the benefits nor the recognition they deserved. New York Times bestselling author Brian Herbert is part of the growing movement across the United States to right this terrible wrong.

The Forgotten Heroes is a history of the unsung heroes of the United States Merchant Marine and a plea for justice for these neglected veterans of World War II.



About the Author
Brian Herbert, the son of Frank Herbert, is a multiple New York Times bestseller in his own right. He is the winner of several literary honors and has been nominated for the Nebula Award. His critically acclaimed science fiction novels include Sidney's Comet, Sudanna Sudanna, The Race for God, and Man of Two Worlds (written with Frank Herbert). In 2003, he published Dreamer of Dune, a biography of his illustrious father.



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The civilian fighters of the Merchant Marine performed feats of extraordinary bravery during World War II; they were the lifeline of the entire Allied war effort, delivering troops, materiel, food, fuel, and every essential needed for victory over the Axis enemy. While executing these duties, the Merchant Marine suffered losses so high that the casualty rates were kept secret. At the war's end, the men and women of every other branch of the service were honored by parades and given medical and educational benefits. But the members of the Merchant Marine, who were so vital to our victory, have received neither the benefits nor the recognition they deserve. New York Times bestselling author Brian Herbert is part of the growing movement across the United States to right this terrible wrong. The Forgotten Heroes is a history of the unsung heroes of the United States Merchant Marine and a plea for justice for these neglected veterans of World War II.


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