GOOSE CREEK, S.C.—It’s no secret that we are a nation that takes pride in our veterans. From ceremonies to special holidays reserved just for the brave men and women who’ve fought for this nation, the words “thank you” never seem enough.
For one 83-year-old Goose Creek man, he believes those words especially hold true for those who served with the Merchant Marines and the United States Coast Guard during WWII. Lewis Chassereau, a veteran himself, says many people forget that these two groups also played a big role in protecting the nation during this time period.
“The Coast Guard was protecting our boarders from California to Maine, and they prevented German U-boats from entering our cities,” explained Lewis Chassereau. “The Merchant Marines went through dangerous waters to give supplies to the allies. Many of those men died doing so, and their families never even received a presidential letter.”
The Merchant Marines is a civilian service group that handles commercial cargo. However, the Merchant Marine Act of 1936 allowed this special group to be used during wartime as an auxiliary of the U.S. Navy. Approximately 215,000 Merchant Mariners served in World War II and close to 7,000 lost their lives. According to USMM.org, the Merchant Marine death rate was actually among the highest of all the military groups.
“These men were fighting to protect us, and they never received the proper recognition,” said Chassereau.
Although Chassereau, a Korean War veteran, did not serve during WWII, he remembers that time period clearly. During the 1940’s, he saw many friends, family and neighbors go off to fight as Merchant Marines but sadly some never returned home.
According to uscg.mil, the Coast Guard also played a huge role during WWII, battling and sinking German U-boats off the coast of the United States. A number of the Coast Guard’s ships were also lost to the same U-boats. In fact, the U.S.S. Muskeget lost all men on board, U.S.S. Escanaba lost all but two crewmen and the U.S.S. Leopold lost 158 members of its 186 crew.
“A lot of these fellas have since passed, but their families are still here, and they deserve to be honored for their service to this country,” stressed Chassereau.
Last November, Chassereau attended a ceremony on the USS Yorktown that honored veterans of WWII. It was at that ceremony that he says he realized that the government had yet to pay tribute to the Merchant Marines and the Coast Guard as it had other branches of the military. During the ceremony, Chassereau watched Senator Tim Scott give WWII pins to the veterans, and he thought this would also be a great gesture to give to the other veterans for their brave service.
According to congress.gov a bill was introduced to establish the Merchant Mariner Equity Compensation Fund giving the former merchant marines of World War two a steepen, but the bill never left the introduction phase.
Chassereau has been actively looking for assistance in this endeavor. He says the American Legion on Howe Hall Road has signed up to help him establish a ceremony. He has also reached out to local politician’s Tim Scott and Mark Sanford for assistance, and this week, both offices have been in touch with Chassereau to see what they can do to help.
“We are happy to help, in whatever way we can with this worthy cause,” said Jon Kohan a representative for Sanford’s office.
Until the day comes when a proper ceremony is held, Chassereau says he’ll keep fighting for their recognition just as the Merchant Marines and Coast Guard fought for this country.
“I am not doing this for me. I am doing this for the veterans, and I will bow out when things begin to take off, said Chassereau.
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