"I guess everyone has different feelings when they’re in battle. All the time this was
going on, I wasn’t scared. I was mad. We were mad as a hornet. We weren’t scared.
When it was over with, I got so weak I couldn’t stand up. I was trembling all over."
(Video Interview Part 2, 26:59)
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James Harding Stancil |

James Stancil shortly after re-enlisting, St. Petersburg, FL [10/1942] | World War, 1939-1945
Merchant Marine
SS Joseph Conrad; SS Roger B. Taney; SS John A. Dix; SS Frederick Remington
St. Petersburg, Florida; Sheepshead Bay, New York; Atlantic Ocean; Pacific Ocean; Mediterranean Sea; Indian Ocean; Baltic Sea; European Theater
Lieutenant Junior Grade
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As a Merchant Mariner during World War II, James Stancil sailed on numerous voyages
carrying munitions and other supplies to Allied troops in Europe, North Africa, and the
Mediterranean. He began his career as a purser and later became a corpsman, when he
performed hand surgery using only a manual for guidance. Stancil survived a torpedo
attack off the coast of Brazil, only to be arrested for illegal entry into the country once he
made it to shore. After serving for nearly five years in the Merchant Marine, Stancil was
dismayed to discover upon his discharge that he was not eligible for the same benefits as
other branches of the service.
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