Show Merchant Marine Academy Develops Fi Fighting Officers I fj i y Combat Training Is Part art o of Extensive Cadet Requirement T THE HE nations nation's newest service academy sends its undergraduates ates to sea as part of their normal course of training During war they go jo to sea just the same consequently consequent- consequent ly y they're participants in sea war- war fare are They've withstood torpedoes bombings strafing coast artillery and fire from enemy raiders They've performed heroic acts under fire which would do credit to battle- battle experienced veterans midshipmen Cadet-midshipmen in the United States merchant marine cadet corps have participated in every landing and invasion operation of the war and have reflected creditably upon the he cadet corps while serving aboard merchant vessels Seven have lave won distinguished service medals more than GOO have been forced to abandon ship as a result of enemy action more than have lave been killed in action many have lave been credited with saving lives ives of shipmates and others have spent as many as 40 days in life- life boa oats boats ts The United States merchant marine marine marine ma ma- rine cadet corps includes the U. U S. S merchant marine academy Kings Point L L. I. I a basic school at San Mateo Calif Calli one at Pass Chrisian Christian Christian Chris- Chris tian ian Miss and a revolving group of 2600 to midshipmen cadet-midshipmen serving erving at sea at all times Upon admission admission admission ad ad- mission to the cadet corps a cadet- cadet midshipman is assigned to one of the he basic schools for training of about four months after which he goes to sea for a minimum of six months This sometimes last as long longas as 12 months because the cadet- cadet midshipman's ship may be in the Indian ocean when his six months is s completed and he of course must serve erve until his ship returns to the United States Has lIas Sea Training First After Alter sea duty a cadet man is assigned to Kings Point for advanced training during which he assimilates knowledge acquired in classrooms and laboratories with that hat which results from sea training training train- train ing ng to qualify himself to become a aleek deck leek or engine officer in Americas America's expanding ever-expanding merchant fleet Upon graduation a mid cadet-mid- shipman hipman is licensed as third mate or third assistant engineer and is appointed an ensign in the U. U S S. S service and in the U. U S. S naval reserve Many of the graduates to date have gone into active duty with the navy The U. U S. S merchant marine cadet corps authorized by the merchant marine act of 1936 is to be a permanent permanent permanent per per- manent institution serving the naion nation nation na- na tion ion just as do West Vest Point Annapolis lis is and the coast guard academy The Pie academy at Kings Point is situated on Long Island Sound two wo miles from Great Neck on what was previously the site of several swanky estates There are odd 30 new and modern buildings on the acre 65 campus which also includes i parade grounds an athletic field and an obstacle course which is quite I tough At the academy's private dock there are half hall a dozen vessels which afford the best possible means of learning that multitude of subjects subjects subjects sub sub- and details embraced in the term seamanship Laboratories are equipped with actual Liberty ship engines and boilers Diesels radio and other signal equipment refrigeration units and machinery and equipment of all types encountered encountered encountered en en- countered aboard ship Administrative Administrative Administrative Adminis Adminis- officers of the cadet corps make the training thorough and far Y 1 S r a A r Y 4 L LUpper f I Upper Graduating regimental commander Willard B. B Kitchen and other cadet officers salute as taps is blown in honor of former cadet cadet- midshipmen lost or missing in action Left Training vessel Emery Rice under full sail Right midshipmen Cadet taking observations for longitude during training cruise from easy in order to live up to the creed H Got to make sure that no boys boy's ghost will ever say If your training program had only done its job Because of the sea duty requirements requirements requirements require require- ments every midshipman cadet-midshipman at Kings Point actually is a veteran veteran veteran vet vet- eran of sea warfare and many wear zone war-zone ribbons indicating service around the world Among several midshipmen cadet-midshipmen who participated in the invasion of France were Louie B B. B Wood Jr of Atlanta Ga and John F. F Steedley Steedley Steedley Steed- Steed ley Jr of Tallahassee Fla who witnessed all the fire and action of American warships and planes and i 4 U 4 i NM d t. t is t F Sk midshipman Cadet laying aloft the main mast German E-boats E and coast artillery during the first three or four days of the historic landings Our ships moved into the English English English Eng Eng- lish channel on Day D-Day carrying trucks jeeps small arms and about soldiers and we of course were exposed to the German bombers bombers bomb bomb- ers E-boats E and coast artillery We VIe didn't worry about the Nazis too much though when we looked up and saw our own fliers in action and watched American and British F i a r w lU t r tir- tir v 4 i rr l 4 Man Ian overboard rescue practice at Pass Christian Miss l warships taking care of the coast emplacements Wood relates A UA day or so after the initial landings we were ordered to anchor anchor anchor an an- chor a a quarter mile off Normandy and discharge our cargo into This job took about 12 hours he said and the ship pulled away and anchored to await formation of a convoy to return to England On uOn Day D-Day plus four ME were dropping pound bombs in our vicinity One had our number on it and struck the ship squarely in No five hold killing seven soldiers soldiers soldiers sol sol- sol sol- diers of the stevedore crew and a i merchant seaman Steedley was busy helping to toman toman toman man an antiaircraft gun on the bridge and Wood was assisting to extinguish a fire on deck When the fire was out Wood went below to help remove the dead men from the hold The uThe concussion had ripped large holes in both sides and the bottom of the ship and she settled fast the stern resting on the bottom in hi seven fathoms of water he re re- re counts The order to abandon ship was given after as much gear as possible possible possible pos pos- sible had been removed to nearby vessels Next day it was thought that there might be a chance to save the ship and an emergency volunteer volunteer volunteer volun volun- teer crew was sought to go aboard Both Wood and Steedley volunteered volunteered volunteered volun volun- but after a few hours all hope of saving the vessel was aban aban- The two midshipmen cadet-midshipmen were returned to England and were back in New York on July 7 one month after participating in the greatest invasion in history Their ship had been lost but the precious cargo of soldiers jeeps and guns had been put ashore in France They're at Kings Point now Dudley Example of Sea Heroes Almost two years earlier on the theother theother theother other side of the world another midshipman cadet-midshipman had played a dramatic dramatic dramatic dra dra- matic part in a landing operation He is Robert H. H Dudley of Yonkers N. N Y Y who was assigned to a transport transport transport trans trans- port in the task force which took the first contingent of U. U S. S marines to Guadalcanal Dudley was placed in charge of landing boats from his vessel and the disembarking was proceeding successfully when 23 Japanese torpedo planes attacked attacked attacked at at- tacked the ships Antiaircraft gunners on merchant vessels and warships alike went into action immediately and skippers skippers skippers skip skip- pers of the various vessels ordered maneuvers to dodge the torpedoes from the enemy planes The accuracy accuracy accuracy ac ac- ac- ac curacy of the fire from American guns excelled that of the Jap aviators aviators aviators avi avi- however and every everyone one of the 23 planes was shot down One ship in the landing force was lost when lost when a flaming Jap plane struck on its deck and set it afire m y This inis was Dudley s vessel from irom which all marines and cargo had been disembarked Dudley was assigned to another ship loaded with provisions bound for and a few days after the Guadalcanal episode Dudley again heard the order Abandon ship as this vessel was torpedoed and sunk on August 21 21 Dudley and 12 members of the crew spent the ensuing 14 days in a lifeboat with the most meager supplies of food and water On HOn the day we sighted land and naturally exerted every ounce of our waning fast-waning energy to pull ashore Dudley reported We UWe landed on a coral reef and every man fell face forward ex ex- ex- ex hausted The sharp edges of the coral inflicted severe cuts about the body of every everyone one of us but we just lust didn't seem to have the strength to move again so we lay there on the reefs almost unconscious for several hours The natives found us usand usand usand and brought us water Dudley spent the next two months in army and navy hospital before returning to Kings Point where he graduated on February 3 1943 received received received re re- his license as third mate and went back to sea as an officer helping helping helping help help- ing deliver the goods Saved Shipmates Shipmate's Life An example of valor and disregard disregard disregard dis dis- dis- dis regard of his own safety was shown by cadet midshipman cadet midshipman William M. M Thomas Jr of Alameda Calif who was awarded the Distinguished Service medal by President Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose Roose- velt for his heroism in dramatically saving the l life e of a shipmate |