During the course of these events, America became huge factory manufacturing war materials. The Henry Kaiser Ship Yards came to launching “Liberty Ships” every 72 days. These ships carried war material in convoys, protected by cruisers and destroyers, to England and to the Pacific theater of operations. They were sitting ducks for the German submarine torpedoes.

My good friend Bill was a cook on three different Liberty ships. Twice, destroyers rescued him out of the sea when his ships were torpedoed.

He survived the war and returned to live in Chicago where he fathered a son and daughter. Over the years, we forged a close friendship including his wife and family. His daughter was my office secretary for a short period after she finished college. My wife and I enjoyed her like the daughter we never had. Bill died in his early eighties.

6000 Merchant Marine Seamen were lost in WW II.