What is the Merchant Marine?
The Merchant Marine is the fleet of ships which carries imports and exports during peacetime and becomes a naval auxiliary during wartime to deliver troops and war materiel. According to the Merchant Marine Act of 1936: “It is necessary for the national defense… that the United States shall have a merchant marine of the best equipped and most suitable types of vessels sufficient to carry the greater portion of its commerce and serve as a naval or military auxiliary in time of war or national emergency…” During World War II the fleet was in effect nationalized, that is, the U.S. Government controlled the cargo and the destinations, contracted with private companies to operate the ships, put guns and Navy personnel (Armed Guard) on board. The Government trained the men to operate the ships and assist in manning the guns through the U.S. Maritime Service.
The merchant marine is a collective term used to describe the commercial (i.e., non-military) vessels of a state and the officers and crew of such vessels. The merchant marine is not a uniformed service such as the Army or Navy but a collection of civilian employees of private companies or perhaps the government. Merchant officers comprise the management team aboard commercial vessels and must be “licensed.” Though crew members must be certified for specific duties, they comprise the unlicensed portion of the ship’s workforce.
