Obtaining Merchant Marine Records

The Merchant Marines, also known as the Merchant Navy, are a civilian maritime fleet that plays a crucial role both in peacetime and wartime. Vital during conflicts such as WWII and Vietnam, they serve as a key support system for naval operations. These civilian mariners step into crucial logistics and transportation roles, bridging the gap between civilian and military duties. Under international law, they are recognized as military personnel during conflicts, undertaking indispensable roles critical to the success of military missions.

 

I began researching records because my father-in-law, Joseph Mucia, had been a Merchant Marine for decades. He enlisted in March 1945, just months before WWII ended and shortly before his 18th birthday, with his service extending into the early Vietnam War era; his father had to give consent due to his age. My goal was to uncover more about his tenure as a mariner. The initial challenge was locating where these records are stored. Although my search at the National Archives was unsuccessful, I discovered that the original Merchant Seaman Certificates from WWII are now available at the NARA facility in St. Louis. You can learn more about this on the NARA blog.

https://www.archives.gov/news/articles/merchant-marine-records-document-maritime-service

 

On a side note, Joseph also briefly served in the U.S. Army after the Korean War, but those records were lost in the 1973 fire. However, I managed to obtain his VA C-file, which I discussed in another blog post about how to access those files.

 

Back to the task at hand. In the United States, the Merchant Marines are regulated by several agencies, including the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD), which is part of the Department of Transportation, and the U.S. Coast Guard, which ensures the enforcement of maritime laws and safety. After some research, I found that Joseph’s records were at 

the National Maritime Center in Martinsburg, West Virginia. 

 

National Maritime Center
Attn.: Correspondence (NMC-41)
100 Forbes Drive
Martinsburg, WV 25404

https://www.dco.uscg.mil/nmc/record_request/

 

Individuals or next of kin wishing to obtain copies of these records must provide the mariner's name, date of birth, a copy of the deceased death certificate, Social Security number, and Z or Service number (if known).

 

You will need to fill out this form: 

https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/NMC/pdfs/records_request/correspondence_request.pdf

 

The process is straightforward. In the form's top section, I entered the name of the mariner, Joseph, and left the reference number blank since I didn't have one. In the Requester Information section, I used my husband's contact details as he is the next of kin. I checked "Copy of Entire Record" for the request type and added a note: "I would like a copy of whatever paperwork is in the file." My husband signed the form, and I sent it along with a copy of my father-in-law’s death certificate. It's also possible to include an obituary to confirm the requester is named as next of kin.

 

About a month later, I received a large envelope containing 53 pages filled with valuable information, including photos of Joseph! The file even contained a signed letter from his father, Giovanni, granting permission to join, showcasing Giovanni’s signature, which I had never seen before. Surprisingly, the file also included a death certificate; I had a copy, but it seems some files might contain previously undiscovered certificates. The documents provided insight into Joseph’s various residences over the years, the ports he visited worldwide, and the vessels he served on.

Joseph Mucia ca. 1951

 

I began delving into the history of the ships on which Joseph served. In 1951, he was aboard the Robin Sherwood. I found a photograph of the ship on a website called Ship Nostalgia. The file provided specific voyage dates, so I further researched the Robin Sherwood's journey, which left New York on August 13, 1951, and arrived in Baltimore, Maryland, on November 17, 1951. Intriguingly, a Baltimore newspaper article reported that the Robin Sherwood had just arrived from Cape Town. This discovery has piqued my interest, and I'm now considering researching all these voyages to piece together Joseph's travels more comprehensively!

 

Vessel: Robin Sherwood

https://www.shipsnostalgia.com/media/robin-sherwood.444076/