In a message dated 1/28/99 7:16:35 AM Pacific Standard Time, BOOKSTORELADY@prodigy.net writes: > (I know...merchant marine probably means he had nothing). Howdy, My grandfather was a merchant marine... he had a lot! He had a home, a wife and children. As far as I understood the Merchant Marines, they were just another branch of the service that wasn't as widely recognized as an official service until recently. My grandfather was a cook on a huge carrier ship in the Pacific. They were fired upon several times on delivery missions. Doesn't hurt to check it out and see if the service had any records and if the state does also. Just a thought... Cheryl