This Veterans Day, I want to not only say a huge thank you to all who served and are currently serving in our armed forces but also to an organization that gave much in the World War II effort but received little recognition for their service – The United States Merchant Marine.
Unsung Heroes
The United States Merchant Marine provided the greatest sealift in history between the production army at home and the fighting forces scattered around the globe in World War II.
The prewar total of 55,000 experienced mariners was increased to over 215,000 through U.S. Maritime Service training programs.
Merchant ships faced danger from submarines, mines, armed raiders and destroyers, aircraft, “kamikaze,” and the elements.
About 8,300 mariners were killed at sea, 12,000 wounded of whom at least 1,100 died from their wounds, and 663 men and women were taken prisoner.
Some were blown to death, some incinerated, some drowned, some froze, and some starved. 66 died in prison camps or aboard Japanese ships while being transported to other camps.
31 ships vanished without a trace to a watery grave.
It is estimated that over 9,000 merchant mariners gave their lives in the war.
Discover more books on the U.S. Merchant Marine experience in WW 2.
A Fitting Tribute To Those Brave Mariners
The Seas That Mourn is Patrick D. Smith’s moving tribute to the brave mariners who served in the Merchant Marine during World War II.
It has been called “A Land Remembered of The High Seas”.
This is an action packed book that has humor, war, love, romance, loss and much more to make it an exciting and memorable read.
You’ll be on the edge of your seat as you follow the main character through convoys that really happened.
$14.95 (softbound) – 
Also available on Kindle and NOOK.
Here is a short video excerpt from that novel:
The Seas That Mourn – A Synopsis
Here’s a brief synopsis of The Seas That Mourn:
In 1942 alone, German U-Boats sank almost four million gross registered tons of Allied ships convoying goods and war supplies to the war ravaged European continent, Britain and North Africa. That same year, 19-year old Jimmy Kendall leaves his small Mississippi town to join the Merchant Marine.
He soon discovers that supplying the troops in unprotected waters exposes him to some of the fiercest battles in WWII.
The Seas That Mourn is a riveting story of unsung heroes who navigated dangerous waters and perilous conditions to provide American and Allied troops with critical supplies of ammunition, fuel and goods. These sailors, often overlooked for their service, were key in turning the tide of the war.
I know you will enjoy this action packed novel. To get a taste of what you’ll read in the novel, get your free chapter. I chose one of many exciting scenes from the book to give you an idea of Dad’s powerful descriptions of what these men went through.
Autobiographical Account
This novel was dear to dad’s heart as it stems very much from his own experience in the United States Merchant Marine just at the end of World War II.
The Seas That Mourn was actually dad’s second novel, written after The River is Home.
He couldn’t get it published in the early 1950’s because publishers told him that the market was swamped with war novels. It languished in a box in his home until 2002, when a publisher picked it up.
I love this novel so much that I acquired all rights to it, designed a new cover, reprinted it and am so proud to promote this book which clearly deserves more recognition than it has received.
You’ll feel like you are right there on the open seas as you read The Seas That Mourn. Only someone who had been a Merchant Marine could write with such authenticity as Patrick Smith brings to bear in this novel.
Here is another short video created from the pages of the book.
It powerfully illustrates how he came up with the title.
Or if you prefer eBooks, click here to get it on Kindle and NOOK
Final Thoughts
You’ll be on the edge of your seat as you follow the main character through dangerous convoys. The United States Merchant Marine provided the greatest sealift in history between the production army at home and the fighting forces scattered around the globe in World War II.
Some argue that without the Merchant Marine the Allies would have lost as there would not have existed the means to carry the personnel, supplies, and equipment needed by the combined Allies to defeat the Axis powers.
We owe a huge debt of gratitude to all the brave men and women who faced the high seas to defend our nation during that awful war.
