HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1987        FILED ON: 2/16/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3659

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Patricia A. Haddad

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying resolve:

Resolve relative to recognition for the naval armed guard service.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1987        FILED ON: 2/16/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3659

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 3209 OF 2019-2020.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

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Resolve relative to recognition for the naval armed guard service.

Resolved, 1.) The Great and General Court of Massachusetts, hereby Resolves that we recognize the service of the naval personnel who served in the Naval Armed Guard Service and expresses its appreciation, and the appreciation of the American people, for the dedicated service performed during World War I and World War II by members of the Navy assigned as gun crews on board merchant ships as part of the Naval Armed Guard Service.

2.) The Navy established a special force during both World War I and World War II, known as the Naval Armed Guard Service, to protect merchant ships of the United States from enemy attack by stationing members of the Navy and weapons on board those ships.

3.) Members of the Naval Armed Guard Service served on 6,236 merchant ships during World War II, of which 710 were sunk by enemy action.

4.) Over 144,900 members of the Navy served in the Naval Armed Guard Service during World War II as officers, gun crewmen, signalmen, and radiomen, of whom 1,810 were killed in action.

5.) The efforts of the members of the Naval Armed Guard Service played a significant role in the safe passage of United States merchant ships to their destinations in the Soviet Union and various locations in western Europe and the Pacific Theater.

6.) The efforts of the members of the Navy who served in the Naval Armed Guard Service have been largely overlooked due to the rapid disbanding of the service after World War II and lack of adequate records.