The Merchant Marine suffered the worst losses of World War II

...and the survivors were left because any ship that stopped to rescue them was likely to be sunk. When I was a Sea Scout skipper there was an old merchant mariner who hung around the Scout Sea Base in Newport Harbor, California. He was skippering a barque (that's a three or more masted sailing ship with square sails on the two forward masts, and a gaff-rigged sail on all masts thereafter) that was sunk off the coast of Africa by a submarine's deck gun. He got his crew home in the ship's lifeboats and continued sailing merchant ships throughout the war. Ultimately, he skippered oilers until he retired (his license was for ships of any tonnage in any ocean). He used to regale the Sea Scouts with harrowing tales including descriptions of blood and guts sloshing around the decks. Helluva tough old man...

Great share Chief, and old family friend of ours was in the Merchants Marines back in the day, didn't say too much though.

COL Mikel J. Burroughs SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL LTC Stephen F.SGT David A. 'Cowboy' GrothCPT Jack DurishPO1 William "Chip" Nagel]TSgt Joe C.SP5 Mark KuzinskiMaj Marty HoganSSgt (Join to see) LTC Stephen C. LTC (Join to see)Cynthia Croft SPC Margaret Higgins 1SG Carl McAndrewsSGT (Join to see)CPL Dave HooverSGT (Join to see)Lt Col Charlie Brown