Merchant Marine memorial coming to Eco Park
Eco Park in Cape Coral is slated to welcome a new edition to its veteran monuments dedicated to branches of the military and times of war.
The United States Merchant Marine Veterans- Southwest Florida Chapter, is teaming up with the Southwest Florida Military Museum & Library to design, construct and install a WWII Merchant Marine and Navy Armed Guard Memorial at Eco Park along Veterans Parkway.
Permits were approved earlier in the week.
It was here in Cape Coral, in 1983, that a group of World War II Merchant Mariners sought out veteran status for their war efforts. Just a year later, the same group incorporated a non-profit for the Merchant Marines in Lehigh Acres.
Finally, in 1988, the Merchant Marine veterans of World War II were granted veteran status.
While earning veteran status was a victory, many Merchant Marines from that time were average age 60, missing out on the G.I Bill and other useful veteran programs.
“It’s a worthy story to remember the U.S. Merchant Marines, especially for World War II,” said Anthony “Dru” DiMattia, chairman of the Merchant Marine Memorial Committee, and 30 year Merchant Marine in his own right. “They haven’t really been recognized. It’s kind of like valor without glory. Just an unsung story in regards to the World War II era.”
The U.S. Merchant Marines was incorporated in 1775 and has participated as the nation’s maritime fleet in peace and every war since.
Their role in World War II was not just of significant importance, but of great loss.
The group even played the silent role of the first responders of World War II, by assisting the British – who were standing alone waiting for the impending Nazi regime- by sending goods.
These supplies helped the British and Churchill stave off the Germans before the United States “officially” entered the war in late 1941after Pearl Harbor.
“This branch of service is an auxiliary to the U.S. Navy in any military conflict. This is the unit that is designated to carry the cargo for any of our military,” DiMattia said.
During a September 1944 speech, President Franklin D. Roosevelt stated that the Merchant Marine had “delivered the goods when and where needed in every theater of operations and across every ocean in the biggest, the most difficult, and dangerous transportation job ever undertaken. As time goes on, there will be greater public understanding of our merchant fleet’s record during this war.”
During World War II, 1 in 26 mariners serving aboard merchant ships died in the line of duty-a greater percentage of war-related deaths than all other U.S. services.
“Liberty Ships (the most common Merchant Marine ships) were being torpedoed and sunk within sight of our shorelines to the tune of 10 vessels in one day on July 5, 1942,” said DiMattia. “Many vessels were lost off of our Florida Gulf and Atlantic Coasts.”
A total of 1,768 U.S. merchant ships were sunk, damaged, captured or detained during World War II.
Originally, Merchant Marine ships were not equipped with weaponry of any kind. It wasn’t until ships began to get taken down in high numbers that the Navy Armed Guard came aboard, giving these vessels a fighting chance in the event on an enemy strike.
An average of 250,000 Merchant Mariners and 144,970 U.S. Navy Armed Guard-enlisted and officers-served during World War II.
The memorial in Eco Park will feature a Ship’s Bronze Wheel (or propellor), a granite memorial stone, plaque and U.S. Merchant Marine flag.
The granite stone inscripture will read: “A memorial to all who served in the U.S. Merchant Marine and the Navy Armed Guard. ‘In Peace and War.'”
It will also detail the lost lives of 6,839 Merchant Marines, as well as the 1,810 lives of Naval Armed guardsman, accompanied by an image of a Liberty Ship.
These pieces, along with engineering and site design, were all donated by local businesses.
Padgett Swann Machinery, Fort Myers Memorial Gardens, Blot Engineering and Houchin Construction all played a role in making this a reality.
General contractors for the project- who will be donating their time, labor and necessary materials will be JHS Builders and Christopher Allen Homes.
“We’re looking forward to getting this thing done to recognize their huge contributions and sacrifices during World War II,” said DiMattia.
DiMattia’s goal is to have the memorial complete by the end of May.
Other than DiMattia, the Merchant Marine Memorial Committee is made up of Missi McComis Lastra, director of Operations, Southwest Florida Military Museum & Library; George Colom, Iwo Jima Restoration Team-Purple Heart Monument Team; Gary Bowler, president, Veterans Midpoint Memorial Trust, Purple Heart Monument Team and Nick Napolitano, secretary treasurer, Southwest Florida Museum & Library.
There are fewer than 1,800 Merchant Mariners from World War II still alive today.
In a letter to President Harry S. Truman from War Shipping Administrator, E.S. Field, in January of 1946, Field said, “The United States was a member of a fighting team of the United Nations that won the greatest war in history. There were three major players who represented that team; Our fighting forces overseas, the production army here at home, and the link between them-the United States Merchant Marine.”
“The whole ambiance of this memorial comes from the fact that it existed here and it started here, that’s the main essence. We’re capturing that history,” DiMattia said.
There are two bills currently on track to be considered by the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives respectively to award a Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the U.S. Merchant Mariners of World War II.
The two bills are companion, and are gaining co-sponsorship to be presented to the floor for a vote.
Sen. Marco Rubio has already signed on.
The 33rd annual Merchant Marine Convention will be held March 20-23 in Tampa.
Eco Park is at 2500 Southeast 24th Street in Cape Coral.
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