The southern news., 1945-11-24
9 LIBERTY SHIPS REMOVED
FROM "GRAVEYARD" FOR
TROOP TRANSPORT SERVICE

Joseph Cmrran, President of the
National Maritime Union, announc-
ed today that as a result of the
Unions nationwide campaign, sup
ported by the general public and
servicemen, to speed the return of
GPs stranded overseas, the War
Shipping Administration this week
removed nine Liberty ships from
the James River anchorage for re-
pair and use as troop carriers.
Curran asserted that This action,
involving vessels laid up months
ago, is a start in the right direc-
ton. 1t proves the correctness of
the position taken by the National
Maritime Union that no ships
should be laid up while a single
CT abroad awaits transportation
home"
The vessels are the ANGUS Nc
DONALD, BENITO JUAREZ,
THOMAS H. SUMNER, JOHN
SHARP WILLIAMS, JAMES B.
HICKOCK, GEORGE G. CRAW-
FORD, ARLIE CLARK, GEORGE
WESTINGHOUSE and the ROB-
ERT RODGERS.
Thousands of letters and tele-
grams have been received by the
Union, Curran said, in support of
the Unions determined stand not
to provide crews after December
l to vessels other than troopships,
unless the Government allocates in
creased shipping facilities to troop
transport service. Most of the com
munications are from wives and
parents of servicemen and from
stranded GPs overseas.
One cablegram received today by
Curran was sent from England by
twenty officers and forty enlisted
men. 1t stated:
please accept our heartfelt
thanks for your courageous and
righteous protest against the. shame
full delay and Jealous indifference
of the War Department in return
! ing our troops home. You have
won our admiration and gratitude
! by your forceful stand on the re-
! deployment muddle. Be assured
your statement has given us our
first real encouragement in many
months. With renewed hopes and
best wishes we remain, twenty Of
ficers and forty enlisted men,"
A wounded sergeant, writing
from the 115th Evacuation Hospital
in Bremen, Germany, declared: II
appreciate the interest you and your
organization is taking in helping
the GPs to get home to their loved
ones before the holiday season,
Christmas and New Years. 1t would
mean more than anyone could ever
begin to realize the happiness that
would reign in the hearts of thous-
ands of families throughout the
United States. I have Sc points
and have been in the service of
our country SO months with no
ideas as to when 1 can expect to
get home to my wife. l have spent
holiday seasons away from hon e
and now that the war has ended,
I would like to be sent home. The
| boys over here surely appreciate
the grand effort that you and your
organization is putting forth to get
us home by this Christmas season"
Signing themselves "Ten Dis
gusted GPs", group of servicemen
in France sent a V-mail letter. to
Curran hailing his statement de-
manding more ships for GPs as
published in Stars and Stripes.
I'VE wholeheratedly agree with
YOU, they wrote. I'VE are in an
outfit of approximately 600 men and
have been waiting in the Marseilles
Staging Area for ship for twelve
days and as yet we don't know
when we'll leave. All the men in
our unit have over so points. We
have been in various CAMPS in
France awaiting shipment for a
month. There is definitely some
thing wrong with the shipping as
you say, and we are wholehearted-
ly behind you and agree with you
on your policy concerning troop
ships"