The U.S. Merchant Marine

15 Points Per Correct Answer - No time limit  

1. The US Merchant Marine is a civilian cargo fleet in peacetime. It only becomes a naval auxiliary force in times of war. True False

2. People who serve in the Merchant Marine can be referred to as Marines or Mariners; the terms are interchangeable. True False

3. Many historians of the Merchant Marine trace its origins back to the American Revolution, but this force was not officially chartered until Japanese imperialism in the 1930s made large-scale maritime war an imminent possibility. True False

4. Though usually not included as a branch of military service, the Merchant Marine had (by most accounts) a higher percentage of war dead during World War II than any of the armed forces. True False

5. During World War II, Merchant Marine ship masters were under standing orders to scuttle their ships whenever capture appeared inevitable. As a result, only one Merchant Marine craft was captured during the conflict. True False

6. During the Battle of Guadalcanal, mariners refused to unload ships under fire. This duty was taken up grudgingly by US Marines who were too ill for combat duty. True False

7. All retired mariners have routinely been eligible for full veterans benefits after a requisite time of service. True False

8. The US Merchant Marine Academy is governed and regulated by the US Naval Academy at Annapolis, VA and its students share the facility with Navy and Marine officer candidates. True False

9. The US Merchant Marine Academy began admitting female students in 1974, two years before its Army and Navy counterparts at West Point and Annapolis. True False

10. Notable attendees of the Merchant Marine Academy include former George W. Bush Chief of Staff Andrew Card, who was stuffed in a duffel bag and run up a flagpole as a young plebe. True False