DUNE 7 BLOG

Friday, July 7, 2006

The Forgotten Heroes

For years, Frank Herbert had a pilot's license, and he flew small planes. But I have not flown for many years because of an unfortunate experience that occurred in a small aircraft. As it turns out, there are many benefits to traveling by surface. In 2001, I met a man named Dean Beaumont on an ocean liner while I was going around the world, and he got me interested in telling the story of the U.S. Merchant Marine in World War II. My father had once been an investigative reporter, and -- thinking as he might have if he'd heard the story -- I thought the saga of these brave men needed to be revealed to the public.

After conducting many interviews and doing a ton of research, I published their compelling story in the book The Forgotten Heroes. We gave away copies of this book to the entire U.S. Senate, and have been working with USMM activist organizations in order to obtain long-overdue benefits for World War II merchant seamen and their families. During the war, they suffered a higher death rate than any of our armed forces -- higher even than the U.S. Marine Corps. Our brave merchant seamen performed duties for the War Department, but at the end of the conflict they received no G.I. Bill (with medical benefits, etc.), or anything comparable. This is one of the most terrible injustices in the history of the United States, and we are seeking to remedy it. As Ian T. Allison, a leader in this cause puts it so poignantly: "Time is of the essence, as our few remaining WWII Merchant Marine veterans are passing over the bar at an accelerated rate. Most of us are over 80 years old."

Frank Herbert was involved in many political causes. In the 1950s, he was a speechwriter and campaign manager for a number of Republican party candidates. When he later became a professor at the University of Washington, he led students in an anti-war march, taking over the freeways and stopping traffic. If he were alive today, he would want to help the U.S. Merchant Marine veterans of World War II, who have been treated so poorly by this nation.

If you want to help with this worthwhile cause, there are bills in the U.S. Senate and in the U.S. House of Representatives, and the merchant seamen veterans need your support.

Please contact:

Ian T. Allison, Co-Chairman
U.S. Merchant Marine -- Just Compensation Committee
P.O. Box 1705
Santa Rosa, CA 95402
Tele: (800)545-4173
Fax: (707)575-3707
e-mail: mra@allisonammv.com

-- BH