Richard Lee Newman |

Richard L. Newman in Merchant Marine Uniform | World War, 1939-1945
Merchant Marine
Navy Reseve, General Service, Deck, Merchant Marine
Pacific Ocean; Atlantic Ocean; North Sea; Red Sea; English Channel
Lieutenant Junior Grade
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As a member of the first class of the Merchant Marine Academy, Richard Newman
received a commission in the Naval Reserves, but the Navy persuaded him to stay with
the Merchant Marine. Applying his education in navigation and other skills, Newman
rose through the ranks on three long and memorable voyages. On his cadet voyage he had
to overcome a fear of tall ladders to stand watch in the crow’s nest. On his second outing,
he and a colleague had to cover for a drunken captain during complicated maneuvers, and
finally, he helped deliver supplies in support of the D-Day Invasion. In his 2002
interview, at a time when the U.S. was contemplating military action against Iraq,
Newman was eloquently defending the need for a professionally trained Merchant
Marine to deliver the goods.
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