Hi List, Can anyone tell me how to get information on someone who was in the Merchant Marine. My grandfather, Charles Magnum BOONE supposedly started his naval career as a cabin boy on the Joseph Conrad when he was 12 or 13 years old. My mother maintained that he lied about his age and signed on. I recall pictures of him as a kid, standing in front of the ship with a goat dressed in a sailor suit. He was then in the Spanish-American war, WWI and WWII. By the mid 1950's he had retired as captain of his own vessel. It is a rather flowery story. How do I corroborate any of this stuff that I recall my mother telling me. I know he died in the City of Galveston, Texas but am unable to unearth any "on line" records of his death. He is also not listed in the SSDI either. My uncle, now deceased, went to Texas to do all the funeral stuff and any information he would have had is lost. Too bad I wasn't interested in this stuff 35 years age. Thanks in advance for the help. Regards, Claudia A. Chappell