HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 06-16-2009 - 4ggORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: June 16, 2009
Action Agenda
Item No. 4--qq
SUBJECT: Resolution Supporting An Alternative Method of Recognizing Veterans Status
for Merchant Marine Seamen from World War II
DEPARTMENT: County Manager PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No
ATTACHMENT(S):
Draft Resolution with Attachment
Letter of Request
INFORMATION CONTACT:
Laura Blackmon, 245-2300
PURPOSE: To approve a Resolution Supporting An Alternative Method of Recognizing
Veterans Status for Merchant Marine Seamen from World War II.
BACKGROUND: Some Commissioners were recently contacted and asked if the Board would
consider adopting a resolution supporting an alternative method of recognizing veterans status
for merchant marine seamen from World War II. Records that would otherwise provide the
required basis for this recognition were discarded by the National Maritime Administration due
to their volume and limited use.
North Carolina counties including Camden, Currituck, Pasquotank, Perquimans, and Wilson
have adopted resolutions similar to the one attached. Beaufort, Chowan, Craven, Dare, Duplin,
Gates, Granville, Greene, Hertford, Jones, Lenoir, Nash, Martin, Pitt and Washington counties
have also recently considered and/or adopted a similar resolution.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with adoption of the resolution.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends the Board adopt the Resolution
Supporting An Alternative Method of Recognizing Veterans Status for Merchant Marine
Seamen from World War II and authorize the Chair to sign the resolution.
a
ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
RESOLUTION SUPPORTING AN ALTERNATIVE METHOD OF
RECOGNIZING VETERANS STATUS FOR MERCHANT MARINE SEAMEN
FROM WORLD WAR II
WHEREAS, Public Laws 95-202 and 105-368 bestowed veteran status on US
Merchant Marine Seamen of World War II; and
WHEREAS, two specific U.S. government actions have caused some 10,000
merchant seamen to have been denied their due recognition:
(1) The United States Coast -Guard relieved Masters of tugs, towboats
and seagoing barges of the responsibility for submitting reports of
seamen shipped and discharged and
(2) The National Maritime Administration ordered ships' logbooks to be
destroyed because they were too costly to maintain and removed the
two main criteria required by the government to issue official
recognition to those seamen; and
WHEREAS, the average age of the remaining seamen is over 86 years of age
and the US veterans' population is shrinking at an average of 850 per year
causing time to be of the essence; and
WHEREAS, no costs are associated with this proposal as funds are already
included in above public laws; and
WHEREAS, the Orange County Board of Commissioners desires that action be
taken to address this concern;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that we, the Orange County Board of
Commissioners, support the attached proposal and forward this Resolution and
attached proposal to Senator Kay Hagan, Senator Richard Burr, and
Congressman David Price encouraging that this matter addressed.
Adopted this 16t" day of June, 2009.
Valerie P. Foushee, Chair
Orange County Board of Commissioners
3
PROPOSAL
Committee:
Bill No:
Principal Author:
Delegation:
Title: Alternative Methods of Recognition for Veteran Status to Merchant Marine Seamen of WW II
Be It Enacted by the one hundred & eleventh Congress of the United States
1. Preamble: Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of
2. America in congress assembled; Public Law 95-202 & 105-368 provided veteran status for members
3. of the U.S Merchant Marine who served during WW II between 07 Dec, 1941 and 31 Dec, 1946 and
4. who were able to prove their service. Various actions by governmental personnel have destroyed or
5. caused these documents to be unavailable. These actions prohibit merchant marine veterans of
6. WW II from receiving the recognition and benefits of veteran's status provided by these laws.
7. Alternative methods to prove service are required, as just compensation, for records lost by
8. government actions.
9. SECTION 1: Records held by the Social Security Administration that denote dates, wages earned and
10. companies employed shall be utilized when USCG forms 718 (any date) or other official data such
11. as ship's logbook, etc, are not available.
12. SECTION 2: Validated testimony from the veteran or primary next of kin as to employment shall be
13. allowed to determine eligibility; and
14. SECTION 3: Other official documentation offered by the veteran, shall constitute replacement of
15. records that were destroyed or from other actions causing the required records to be unavailable
16. that were committed by those responsible for the control and maintenance of veteran records.
17. SECTION 4: For the timeframe between 07 December, 1941 and 31 December, 1946, masters of
18. seagoing vessels shall be recognized as agents of the United States authorized to document
19. crew members as it applies to the shipping and discharge of seaman for purposes of employment.
20. SECTION 5: These replacements records shall satisfy all requirements for eligibility of service during
21. the required timeframe 07 December, 1941 and 31 December, 1946.
22. SECTION 6: This bill will go into effect 91 days after passage_
y
James D. Horton
104 Riverview Ave
Camden NC 27921
18 May, 2009
Dear Members of Board of County Commissioners of North Carolina,
I need help in assisting some 10,000 U. S. Merchant Marine seamen from WW II to gain
recognition as veterans under P.L. 92-202 & 105-368. Because of shortsightedness of two government
actions they are being denied eligibility as veterans and therefore VA benefits are not available to them.
These actions that prevented them from gaining recognition occurred before the Public Laws were in
force.
(1) On 20 Mar, 1944, the Commandant issued orders to masters of tugs, towboats and seagoing
barges of the requirement for submitting reports of seamen shipped and discharged on
form (718), the same one now required to prove employment for eligibility.
(2) USCG Reference Information Paper # 77 states "After world War II, the deck and engineering
logbooks of vessels operated by the War Shipping Administration (WSA) were turned over
to that agency by the ship owners for safekeeping, and were later destroyed by the
Maritime Administration, in the 1970s, on the grounds that they were voluminous, costly to
house and service and very seldom used for research"
(3) Further, this same official USCG document #77, indicates that the three documents required
to receive eligibility were (a) shipping and discharge certificates Form (718), (b) ship's deck
logs, and (c) paperwork from the company bearing the name of the seaman, ship and
destination. Note: I doubt the latter ever happened as it was against regulations to publicize
destination of vessel. Remember the WW II slogan" loose lips, sink ships"?
Because of government actions removing two of the three documents from the veteran and the third
document being impossible to obtain since companies have long since been lost to history, alternative
methods of providing acceptable information must be made.
Therefore, I am calling on all commissioners of the 100 counties in North Carolina to stand high
and support a resolution, such as has been presented by my County of Camden, to show their patriotic
support for those that answered the call. They delivered the goods when it was necessary to keep this
country safe from all who challenged. We owe them and this is the least that we can do. 1 am counting
on you and I know you will come through. Let us tell congress we haven't forgotten those who helped
us and we want them to press on as our veterans are leaving us at the rate of 850 per year. We can't
wait much longer to honor those that are still alive and, as important; we can now say we have finally
thanked them for a job well done. To date, these counties have taken the lead and signed off on the
resolution, Camden, Currituck, Pasquotank, Perquimans and Wilson. Many others are scheduled for
18/20 May. This should complete lst & 3`d districts. Districts 2 & 7 are planned for this request.
Please develop and approve your resolution and send originals (4 or 5) to me so that I can offer
them by district, as a package to each of our Congressional Representatives. (Senators Richard Burr &
Kay Hagan, & your respective House Representative (s)). Due to timing of meetings and distances, I am
unable to meet with individual counties in preparation of resolutions. Thanking you in advance.
Very Respectfully,
James D. Horton
252 336 5553
ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
RESOLUTION SUPPORTING AN ALTERNATIVE METHOD OF
RECOGNIZING VETERANS STATUS FOR MERCHANT MARINE SEAMEN
FROM WORLD WAR II
WHEREAS, Public Laws 95-202 and 105-368 bestowed veteran status on US
Merchant Marine Seamen of World War II; and
WHEREAS, two specific U.S. government actions have caused some 10,000
merchant seamen to have been denied their due recognition:
(1) The United States Coast Guard relieved Masters of tugs, towboats
and seagoing barges of the responsibility for submitting reports of
seamen shipped and discharged and
(2) The National Maritime Administration ordered ships' logbooks to be
destroyed because they were too costly to maintain and removed the
two main criteria required by the government to issue official
recognition. to those seamen; and
WHEREAS, the average age of the remaining seamen is over 86 years of age
and the US veterans' population is shrinking at an average of 850 per year
causing time to be of the essence; and
WHEREAS, no costs are associated with this proposal as funds are already
included in above public laws; and
WHEREAS, the Orange County Board of Commissioners desires that action be
taken to address this concern;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that we, the Orange County Board of
Commissioners, support the attached proposal and forward this Resolution and
attached proposal to Senator Kay Hagan, Senator Richard Burr, and
Congressman David Price encouraging that this matter addressed.
Adopted this 16th day of June, 2009.
~t,~... G~--
Valerie P. Foushee, Chair
Orange County Board of Commissioners