World War II brought on a different type of war than the first one. Even though the submarine had been used in WW I, they were greatly improved with longer range and more deadly firepower. They also could stay underwater longer and stalk their prey until all was in their favor. Airplanes were used against Allied shipping vessels as they came within range of the enemy territory airfields. Had it not been for the firepower of the ARMED GUARD gunners, who they finally learned to respect, they could attack at close range. Enemy surface raiders attacked merchant ships also at the outset of WW II and the ARMED GUARD gun crews kept them at bay, causing considerable damage to some and credit for actually sinking one - both ships sinking in the gun duel.

The Chairman of the Merchant Marine was quoted as having said: “If it was not for the merchant seamen, the war would have been lost by the Allies.”

It has also been said that: “If it weren’t for the U. S. Navy ARMED GUARD gun crews and other ARMED GUARD personnel, the ships and men of the maritime would have been lost and so would the war.”

It can now be assured that it took the cooperation of all peaceloving people of the world to bring peace and stability to a war-torn society.

Particular attention has been given to the ‘MURMANSK RUN’, the ‘BATTLE OF LEYTE’ and others, but the public are not aware of the real battle that took place in the lifeboats of the merchant seamen and the ARMED GUARD crews as they tried to hang on for another day in the unbearable cold wind, rough seas, hot sun and the darkest nights with little food or water. The ARMED GUARD’S motto was: A loose lip sinks a ship.

And they were the prey. They also remember the burns and injuries. They also remember the lights that lit up the shoreline from Brownsville, Texas to Maine, making their ships a sitting duck for the sights of the enemy outlined against the glow from the shore lights, with the owners afraid they would lose their customers should they close shop.

The requirement to serve in the ARMED GUARD was to be of good health in every respect, for there were no doctors aboard. Good night vision was very essential along with 20-20 vision since, while on watch, constant lookout was made to find the enemy before he saw you.

Since many of the ARMED GUARD crew had never seen the ocean before, they soon found themselves facing the same hardships their forefathers faced of the winds, rough seas, bitter cold or extremely hot, but their forefathers never faced the enemy that was taught to kill him at any cost and destroy the ships and cargo they were to protect. They were faced with constant submarine alert and attack, and planes and raiders with modern weapons of destruction. Early in the war some of the ships had only small weapons and a creosote pole as a decoy gun. Improvement was made as the war went on as to guns but convoys of ships were formed with protection of the large battleships to the destroyer escorts and aircraft carriers using the planes to search and drop depth charges on the subs.

The ARMED GUARD totaled 144,970 men during WW II along with many more other ARMED GUARD groups, such as the WAVES, gun trainers, postal clerks and ship’s company at the shipping out centers that were as important to the war effort as the man on the sea. The ARMED GUARD served on 2,710 LIBERTY SHIPS and of these, 216 were sunk by the enemy. Of the 6,236 merchant ships served on, 710 were sunk by the enemy and many more greatly damaged. Over 80,000 ARMED GUARD served in the fleet as the War at Sea slowed down, and they manned the guns on the LST, LCI or wherever the call came.

The ARMED GUARD crews were processed at three centers - Brooklyn Armed Guard Center; Treasure Island in California; and New Orleans - better known to the crew as NOLA. The ARMED GUARD’S mail, pay, records, leave, clothing and shipping orders came from these three centers. These centers had the responsibility of seeing that the crew was fed three times a day and had a place to sleep. They also issued liberty chits or passes to enjoy the little time they were ashore, for they deserved the best - as they often would be sent right back to another ship that was loaded, ready to take on a new gun crew and they wanted experienced men to protect them, their ship and cargo. These centers also administered sick, recreation, discipline and church services. They also issued emergency leave for personal family problems such as death, sickness etc. They issued proper foul weather gear for different climates. These items were in short supply at the beginning of World War II with a lot of deaths contributed to the lack of proper clothing due to freezing in the water and lifeboats.

The USN ARMED GUARD were a dedicated crew of men with great love for their country and those of others who wished to be self-governed. They also gained respect from the enemy for their ability to perform the job they undertook, for their skills were shown in the battles they fought and the planes they shot down.

When the war was over, most returned to the place whence they came, returning to the farms, factories, schools, service stations, small towns and large cities to be engulfed back into a society that was almost as strange as the sound of the first big gun, the sight of the first ship, the sinking of their ship, the people of distant lands that spoke different tongues than he had been accustomed to, of the past several years of combat readiness & the rigors of war - soon to become the forgotten heroes of a conflict that took them to almost every port in the world - and it took 1,800 to their final resting place.

Part 1: US Navy Armed Guard