HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES-2009-054 Supporting Alternative Method of Recogizing Veterans Status for Merchant Marine Seamen World War II
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.
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Valerie P. Foushee, Chair
Orange County Board of Commissioners