American Merchant Marine Veterans of WWII and Navy Armed Guard

Every bullet, every tank, every ration that crossed an ocean in World War II rode on a merchant ship, and civilian sailors crewed them straight through waters thick with U-boats. They died at a rate rivaling any branch in uniform — roughly one in twenty-six — while Navy Armed Guard gunners stood at the rails trying to fight off what came. And then they were denied veteran status for more than forty years, until a 1988 ruling finally recognized them, too late for most. This monument gives the merchant mariners the standing their country long withheld.

What the plaque says

American Merchant Marine Veterans of WWII and Navy Armed Guard Members of the U.S. Merchant Marine serving aboard U.S. ships during WWII suffered a greater percentage of war related deaths than did the nations regular Armed Forces combined. To the dry land sailors who went down to the sea in ships, many of whom crossed over the bar and are hopefully sailing in calmer waters. Dedicated by the Beehive Chapter of the American Merchant Marine Veterans of WWII on May 22, 1997

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Lehi Roller Mills — 5.4 mi
  The flour mill from the movie Footloose
• Thanksgiving Point — 8.2 mi
  A massive complex with dinosaur bones, gardens, and a curiosity museum
• Timpanogos Cave National Monument — 12 mi
  Three spectacularly decorated caves connected by hand-carved tunnels
• Bingham Canyon Mine — 13 mi
  The largest man-made excavation on Earth

More markers nearby

• Canine and Service Animals War Heros Memorial — steps away
• Utah's Medal of Honor Recipients Memorial — steps away
• Address by Abraham Lincoln Memorial — steps away
• United States Army Special Forces Monument — steps away