(CAMDEN, N.C.) — A retired merchant mariner and Coast Guardsman is spearheading a campaign to win veteran recognition for 10,000 merchant mariners from the World War II era, the Daily Advance newspaper of Elizabeth City, N.C., reported. In prior years, many seamen who worked along the U.S. coast were considered civilians even though they transported materials for the war effort. More of these merchant mariners may be eligible for veterans benefits as a result of a 1980s law.
