First Sailing of the S.S. Smith Thompson

Serving in the U.S. Merchant Marine in World War II

Versandkostenfrei!

Nicht lieferbar

The S.S. Smith Thompson was a World War II armed cargo ship built on an emergency basis by the U.S. War Shipping Administration. The Smith Thompson was one of those "ordinary" Liberty ships that did her job during extraordinary times. This story chronicles one man's version of a typical voyage aboard a World War II Liberty ship. The man at the center of the story is Albert F. Miller, or "Al" as he was called by his friends and family. The story is told by Al's grandson, Steve Miller and is intended to provide enjoyment and some nostalgia for the reader, not to be a textbook or reference manual. The public then and now is ignorant about the Merchant Marine, in that merchant seamen in World War II suffered more deaths per capita than any branch of the U.S. military. In fact, the War Shipping Administration deliberately refused to reveal the casualty figures during the war in order to avoid creating a shortage of volunteers. My hope is that the reader will come to understand what it was like to serve aboard an armed merchant vessel, as it was for the vast majority of those that served. They served quietly, without distinction, and felt no particular grandeur; they thought they were "just doing their job." Contents: Foreword Introduction 1: Meet Albert F. Miller 2: Al Gets His Opportunity 3: The Smith Thompson Readies for Sea 4: Time to Say Goodbye 5: Issues and Comments to Consider as the Ship Puts to Sea 6: The Smith Thompson's First Day at Sea 7: The Smith Thompson Settles in for a Long Voyage 8: The Crew Gets to Know Each Other 9: Working Together as a Crew 10: Scuttlebutt Says the Ship Will Port in New Zealand 11: Continuing the Westward Journey 12: The Smith Thompson Moves Into the Indian Ocean 13: Arrival at Bombay, India 14: Time to Depart from the Long Stay in Bombay 15: Arrival in Madras 16: The Doldrums of Calcutta 17: The Beginning of the Homeward-Bound Voyage 18: Putting India in the Rearview Mirror 19: The S.S. Smith Thompson Heads for Home 20: The Final Leg of the Journey Appendix 1: Additional Sailing Information Appendix 2: List of Non-Officer Merchant Personnel Aboard the Thompson on the First Sailing Appendix 3: Crew Duties Appendix 4: Status of the Liberty Ships and Victory Ships After the War Appendix 5: Merchant Marine Radio School Appendix 6: Port-to-Port Sailing Destinations of Al Miller's Ships. 22 photos. Merriam Press World War 2 Biography.

Weniger Details

Steve Miller is a military service expert, historian, professional speaker, published author and management consultant. He was raised, and currently lives in, Simi Valley, California. He is a fourth generation military serviceman. His father served in the U.S. Navy between World War II and Korea, and his grandfather was in the Navy in World War I and an armed Merchant Marine officer in World War II. Miller's great-grandfather served as a soldier in the British Army in the 1890s. Miller joined the U.S. Air Force toward the end of the Vietnam War and served in the 100th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing. He participated in flying drone reconnaissance missions in Southeast Asia on operations BUFFALO HUNTER and COMBAT DAWN. At the time, the 100th SRW was the only military unit in the world flying unmanned drones for intelligence collection. After leaving the Air Force, Miller went to work as a senior field engineer for General Dynamics (now Lockheed-Martin) on a classified electronic warfare program called Operation PEACE OWL. After returning to the States, Miller was assigned to the ground test team at the northern reaches of Area 51 in Nevada, on a stealth cruise missile project called SENIOR PROM. He finished his work at GD assigned to the AN/MST-T1 MUTES (MUltiple Threat Emitter System) Project. Moving over to Hughes Aircraft (now Raytheon), Miller worked on the TOW missile system for the Army and ARBS (Angle Rate Bombing System) for the Marine's A-4M Skyhawk and AV-8B Harrier. Later he worked on the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor program for Bell Helicopter. Before moving into consulting, Miller last worked on the Army's M131 Modular Pack Mine System (MOPMS). As a military service expert and historian, his specialties include the Vietnam War, the U.S. Air Force, intelligence collection systems, special operations and the U.S. Presidency. Miller is married, and has a daughter in college, with three teenagers in high school. He also enjoys volunteer work with the Civil Air Patrol.