Merchant Mariner

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Jack served as a merchant mariner. Merchant mariners can be men hired as laborers, or they can be highly trained ship's officers, who have studied at a merchant marine academy. Jack began as the former when he was only 14 years old. His first sail was during Christmas break from school. He described the experience of being away from his family at Christmas as being very lonely and the point at which the boy became a man. Thereafter, he spent most holidays at sea, until he graduated from New York University in 1942.

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By then, World War II was in full swing. Jack's dreams of pursuing his love of art had to be put on the back burner when the government drafted all merchant mariners, who are civilians, and required them to serve in the war effort. After working for the Army Corps of Engineers in Persia (now, Iran), Jack returned to the Merchant Marine and began serving on merchant ships. One of those ships was torpedoed off the coast of Italy and sank in seven minutes. Jack nearly lost his life before he made his way aboard a lifeboat. Sixteen hours passed before he was rescued.  

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Returning Stateside, Jack enrolled in the US Maritime Service's Officer Training School, then located at the Coast Guard Academy at Fort Trumbull in New London, Connecticut. In June of 1945, Jack received a commission into the US Maritime Service at the rank of ensign with a third mate's license. 

     

The Maritime Officers Training School at Fort Trumbull graduated 15,473 officers in 76 classes between 1939 and 1946, when training was transferred to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

Jack’s commission included an obligation to serve the Maritime Service for an additional period of time. He was sent to Washington, DC, where he served as an artist for service publications and then appeared in training films. Jack completed his service to the Maritime Service in 1948. He had achieved the rank of lieutenant.

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In the early 1970s, the Coast Guard Auxiliary would pay homage to Jack by naming him an honorary commodore (former Coast Guard title for rear admiral-lower half, one star). Jack said “thank you” by featuring the Auxiliary’s Volunteer Boat Examination program on an episode of Hawaii Five-O, “And a Time to Die” (Season 3).