The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy is privileged among the nation's five federal academies to be the only institution authorized to carry a battle standard as part of its color guard. The proud and colorful battle standard perpetuates the memory of the 142 Academy cadet/midshipmen who were casualties of World War II.
During times of war, members of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard engage in combat, but the students at their respective service academies do not. However, the students of the USMMA receive an integral part of their training at sea, and in the Second World War often found their lives in peril as they sailed through enemy-controlled waters or unloaded precious cargo in overseas combat areas. In all, 142 such cadet/midshipmen never returned to home port.
In their memory, the battle standard bears the number "142" on its field of red, white and blue. In its center is the eagle of the Academy's seal in blue and gray, the school colors, and the anchor of the merchant marine in gold. From its top hang the ribbons which represent the various combat zones in which the Academy's cadet/midshipmen served. The first Academy battle standard was handmade. Since 1965, replacement battle standards have been manufactured following the design provided by the Institute of Heraldry in Great Britain.
U.S. Merchant Marine Cadets Killed During World War II
| Cadet-Midshipman Name | Department | Vessel |
| Ackerlind, Edward J. | Engine | SS Maiden Creek I |
| Alexander, Joseph P. | Deck | SS Angelina |
| Amborski, Norbert | Deck | SS Stone Street |
| Artist, John W. | Deck | SS St. Mihiel |
| Atchison, Alan A., Jr. | Deck | SS Theodore Dwight Weld |
| Bergeson, Burton G. | Deck | SS John Winthrop |
| Biemel, Peter J. | Engine | SS Salmon P. Chase |
| Bogardus, Jr., Henry J. | Engine | SS William King |
| Bole III, Robert J. | Deck | MS Wichita |
| Bourell, Randall P. | Deck | SS MeriwetherLewis |
| Brandler, Carl A. | Engine | SS Munger T. Ball |
| Branigan, Philip G. | Deck | SS James McKay |
| Brewster, John P. | Engine | SS Syros |
| Brodie, Marvin W. | Engine | SS John Harvey |
| Bruaw, Glenn R. | Deck | SS Heredia |
| Buck, Jr., Michael, | Engine | SS James Sprunt |
| Burlison, Harry M. | Deck | SS Jonathan Sturges |
| Byrd, Lee T. | Deck | SS Harry Luckenbach |
| Carey, Jr., Thomas B. | Lost in training 11/2/44 | |
| Carriere, Warren B. | Deck | SS Maiden Creek I |
| Carter, John M. | Engine | SS Esso Gettysburg |
| Cathey, Vincent G. | Engine | SS Robert E. Lee |
| Chamberlain, Jr., Arthur R. | Deck | SS Stephen Hopkins |
| Charlton, Jr., Denniston | Deck | SS Arthur Middleton |
| Chrobak, Michael M. | Engine | SS Louise Lykes |
| Chunosoff, Peter N. | Deck | SS Alcoa Pilgrim |
| Clarke, Alan R. | Deck | SS Meriwether Lewis |
| Connors, Aubrey G. | Deck | SS Robert Gray |
| Conway, Howard P., Jr. | Engine | SS Liberator |
| Cordua, James S. | Deck | SS William C. Gorgas |
| Corrigan, Vincent J. | Engine | SS Charles C. Pinckney |
| Derick, Robert J. | Engine | SS J. Pinckney Henderson |
| Di Cicco, Joseph C. | Engine | MS American Leader |
| Driscoll, Joseph L. | Deck | SS RobertErskine |
| DuChene, Jr., Roy | Lost in training 1/30/45 | |
| Ebel, Irwin S. | Engine | SS Heredia |
| Egenthal, Meyer | Engine | SS Sawokla |
| Erhlich, Leonard L. | Engine | SS James McKay |
| Everhart, Robert R. | Deck | SS William Clark |
| Farrell, Richard P. | Deck | SS Nathaniel Hawthorne |
| Foote, Calvin S. * | Deck | SS Pan Atlantic |
| Frohn, David H. | Deck | SS Francis Drake |
| Gafford, Ben P. | Engine | SS Arthur Middleton |
| Garritsen, Herman G. | Engine | SS William Clark |
| Gassner, Charles C. | Deck | SS Louise Lykes |
| Gavin, Edward J. | Engine | SS Dorchester |
| Gerstacker, Charles F. | Lost in training 10/4/44 | |
| Ginnelly, William B. | Engine | SS Scapa Flow |
| Giovinco, Joseph | Deck | SS Coamo |
| Glauche, Richard B. | Deck | SS John Harvey |
| Gordon, John R., Jr. | Engine | SS Nathaniel Greene |
| Gradus, Arthur J. | Deck | SS Richard Bland |
| Green, William H., Jr. | Engine | SS Samuel Heintzelman |
| Guilford, George E. | Engine | SS La Salle |
| Hammershoy, Jay A. | Engine | SS Henry R. Mallory |
| Hanzik, Edwin | Deck | SS William C. Gorgas |
| Harris, Alexander W. | Deck | SS Hobbs Victory |
| Hetrick, Walter C., Jr. | Engine | SS James McKay |
| Hoggatt, Andrew J. | Lost at sea 11/19/40, SS President Cleveland | |
| Holbrook, Richard H. | Engine | SS Bienville |
| Holland, Richard E. | Deck | SS Henry R. Mallory |
| Hollander, Maxwell | Deck | SS Rosario |
| Hope, James A. | Deck | SS John L. Motley |
| Howard, Edward D. | Deck | SS John L. Motley |
| Justis, Alvin H., Jr. | Engine | SS John Harvey |
| Kannitzer, Donald J. | Deck | SS John Burke |
| Kellegrew, Thomas | Engine | 35 John Drayton |
| Kennedy, Donald A. | Engine | SS Lee S. Overman |
| Kern, Otto E., Jr. | Deck | SS Richard Henry Lee |
| Kilen, Chester E. | Engine | MS Wichita |
| Kohlmeyer, Ralph J. | Engine | SS Jonathan Sturges |
| Krusko, Joseph W. | Engine | SS Angelina |
| Lamac, Robert L. | Deck | SS Charles S. Pinckney |
| Lambert, John R. | Deck | SS James Oglethorpe |
| Landron, Joseph J., Jr. | Engine | SS Esso Gettysburg |
| Lawrence, Leroy P. | Deck | SS Jacksonville |
| Levett, Henry A. | Deck | SS Coamo |
| Lewis, Richard E. | Deck | SS Azalea City |
| Lietz, Grover P. | Engine | SS Jonathan Sturges |
| Limehouse. Albert M. | Lost in training 1/5/43 | |
| Linde, William R. | Engine | SS Jeremiah Van Rennselaer |
| Litton, Jay F. | Engine | SS John L. Motley |
| Lyman, William L., Jr. | Deck | SS Timothy Pickering |
| Magee, James J. | Deck | SS Edward B. Dudley |
| Maher, Daniel J. | Engine | SS Meriwether Lewis |
| Marks, Warren P. | Engine | SS Timothy Pickering |
| McCall. George D. | Deck | SS Robert Bacon |
| McCann, Francis T. | Engine | SS Meriwether Lewis |
| McCann, William E. | Engine | SS Thomas Paine |
| McCauliffe, Kenneth | Engine | SS Tela |
| McGrath, Howard T. | Engine | SS James Sprunt |
| McKelvey, John | Deck | SS James McKay |
| McLaughlin, Lawrence D. | Engine | SS Timothy Pickering |
| Meyer, Walter J. | Engine | SS Harry Luckenbach |
| Miller, Allen G., Jr. | Deck | SS Louise Lykes |
| Miller, Alphonse I. | Deck | SS Esso Gettysburg |
| Miller, Francis R. | Engine | SS Harry Luckenbach |
| Miller, George C., Jr. | Deck | SS Wade Hampton |
| Moon, James O. | Engine | SS William C. Gorgas |
| Netcott, Roland E. | Lost in training 9/26/43 | |
| Nolan, Ronald C. | Died at sea 1/10/44, SS Wildwood | |
| OHara. Edwin J. | Engine | SS Stephen Hopkins |
| OHara, William V. | Deck | SS Sawokla |
| Nauman, Robert S. | Engine | SS Firethorn |
| Nolan, Ronald C. | Deck | SS Wildwood |
| Palmer, Robert V. | Engine | SS West Chetac |
| Pancratz, George E. | Deck | SS Bushrod Washington |
| Parker, William H. | Deck | SS Harry Luckenbach |
| Pennington, Fred | Deck | SS La Salle |
| Pitzely, David H. | Deck | SS West Portal |
| Polcari, Dante L. | Deck | SS St. Mihiel |
| Prickett, Roscoe J., Jr. | Deck | SS J. Pinckney Henderson |
| Province, James H. | Engine | SS West Portal |
| Quayle, Harry, Jr. | Deck | SS Daniel H. Lownsdale |
| Race, George R. | Engine | SS Henry R. Mallory |
| Record, Richard | Engine | SS James Oglethorpe |
| Rosenbloom, J. R. | Deck | SS Charles Henderson |
| Rowley, James R. | Deck | SS James Sprunt |
| Rovella, Louis J. | Deck | SS Firethorn |
| Schultz, Bernard | Deck | SS Cape Ugat |
| Schuster, Samuel | Deck | SS Examelia |
| See, Robert J. | Engine | SS Azalea City |
| Sempell, William S. | Engine | SS Bushrod Washington |
| Siriglia, Stephen | Engine | SS Robert Gray |
| Smith, Peter J. | Engine | SS William Clark |
| Spilman, Bernard W. | Engine | SS Examelia |
| Stadstad, Jack N. | Engine | SS John Drayton |
| Stewart, John N. | Deck | SS Samuel Heintzelman |
| Sturges, Jonathan F. | Engine | SS John Winthrop |
| Talbott, John 0. | Engine | SS John Morgan |
| Tamplin, Charles W. | Deck | SS Richard Bland |
| Tone, Francis B. | Engine | SS Samuel J. Tilden |
| Tucek, John P. | Deck | SS James Sprunt |
| Tyler, Samuel T. | Deck | SS Dorchester |
| Tyne, Gordon A. | Deck | MS American Leader |
| Vancure, Robert C. | Engine | SS Louise Lykes |
| Viridakis, George | Lost in training 12/12/42 | |
| Walters, Eugene W. | Deck | SS Louise Lykes |
| Watson, John H. | Deck | SS Peter Minuit |
| Weis, William R., Jr. | Deck | SS Nathaniel Hawthorne |
| Wiggin, Edwin P. | Deck | SS William C. Gorgas |
| Wilkinson, Benjamin H. | Deck | SS John Morgan |
| Wilson, William C. | Deck | SS Jonathan Sturges |
| Wright, Donald S. | Deck | SS Cornelia P. Spencer |
| Zapletal, Edwin S. | Deck | SS Paul Hamilton |
The President of the United States takes Pleasure in Presenting the Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Medal to
Edwin Joseph O'Hara
Engine Cadet-Midshipman on SS Stephen Hopkins 9/27/42For extraordinary heroism under unusual hazards.
Two enemy surface raiders suddenly appeared out of the morning mist to attack the small merchantman upon which he was serving. Heavy guns of one raider pounded his ship, and machine guns from the other, sprayed her decks for one-half hour at close quarters. The heroic gun crew of O'Hara's ship exchanged shot for shot with the enemy, placing thirty-five shells into the waterline of one of the raiders until its crew was forced to abandon their sinking ship. The gun commander was mortally wounded early in the action, and all of the gun crew were killed or wounded when an enemy shell exploded the magazine of their gun.
At the explosion, O'Hara ran aft and single-handedly served and fired the damaged gun with five live shells remaining in the ready box, scoring direct hits near the waterline of the second raider. O'Hara was mortally wounded in this action. With boilers blown up, engines destroyed, masts shot away, and ablaze from stem to stern, the gallant merchantman finally went under carrying O'Hara and several of his fighting shipmates with her.
The magnificent courage of this young cadet constitutes a degree of heroism which will be an enduring inspiration to seamen of the United States Merchant Marine everywhere.
For the President
Admiral Emory Scott Land[Awarded posthumously]
