"The United States Merchant Marine has a tradition - from the Revolutionary War to the present-day Gulf conflicts - of being in the forefront of every American military action. They have served with distinction in every case. Brian Herbert has chronicled the exploits of these seaman, assembling an array of data to describe the world of the Merchant Marine in peace and especially in war." "Drawing from historical documents, government records, diaries, and interviews with surviving veterans, Herbert has constructed a history that details the heroism, self-sacrifice, and grim determination that has been the hallmark of the United States Merchant Marine. He also reveals one of the great injustices of American history - the grave failure of our legislators that has allowed the veterans of the Merchant Marine to become the forgotten heroes of World War II."--BOOK JACKET.