News From Fort Schuyler

September 1, 2008 - Volume 8, No. 30

TOP NOTCH - The U. S. News and World Report's "America's Best College 2009" issue rates SUNY Maritime among the best baccalaureate colleges in the North. According to the college website, Fort Schuyler scored high in student selectivity, graduation and retention rates, peer assessment and percentage of international students. The college was also recognized by The Princeton Review in its 2009 edition. Dean of Admissions JONATHAN WHITE said that: "These important annual reviews are a tribute to our outstanding faculty and students who are dedicated to the study of the global maritime industry." To see all the data go to: www.usnews.com/sections/rankings and www.princetonreview.com/best-regional-colleges

HIS BOOK CAME OUT - The newest maritime title in your local bookstore or library should be, Always on Station: The Story of the Sandy Hook Pilots, by FRANCIS J. DUFFY, maritime journalist, photographer, historian, and long-time Executive Vice President of the Maritime Industry Museum at Fort Schuyler. Frank writes that "The book covers the history of the Pilots from 1694, their work in sail, part in World War I & II, apprentice training, part in 9/11, and future in today's world. Since the apprentice training has been open to all qualified applicants, including women, many from SUNY Maritime College are in their ranks." The book was published by Purple Mountain Press. For order information call 1-800-325-2665.

HIS BOAT CAME IN - In 1946 LEONARD WEISS Oct '46 made his first trip to Israel. In 1948 Israel became a nation. In 1950 Haifa was a port of call for the EMPIRE STATE. Recently Leonard wrote that he had "...just returned from an in-depth visit to Israel. It was my fifth trip there since it became a nation in 1948. My first trip there was in 1946 as a Jr. 3rd mate on the SS MARINE CARP, a C-4 that was operated by Americium Export Co.[sic] It was my first ship after graduation and it was almost as good as being in heaven. It had been converted from a troop transport to a passenger vessel and was being used by the Maritime Service to bring war brides back from the Mediterranean. One of our stops was Haifa, still under British control. After my second trip on that ship it was taken our of service and I then went to work for Moore-Mac [Moore-McCormack Lines.]

When Leonard was planning his most recent trip to Israel he contacted a friend of his who was a general in the Israeli Tank Corps, "When I told him I was coming to his country, and knowing of my sea-going career in the merchant marine and the Navy during the Korean War, he arranged a visit for me at the main naval base in Haifa. Unfortunately, when I arrived in Israel, the base was closed to civilians. My friend then arranged for me to visit another naval base at Ashdod. I went there and received a very cordial welcome. I toured the base, no pictures allowed, and then boarded one of their patrol boats....If I was starting my sea-going career I would volunteer to become a member of the Israeli Defense Forces and ask for duty on these patrol boats." (Check out these craft at http://dover.idfl.il/IDF/English/about/weapon/navy/defaut.htm)

MORE RESEARCH NEEDED - According to the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, MARINE CARP, launched in 1945, entered the Maritime Commission Reserve Fleet in1946 and was berthed in the Hudson River from 1947 until being reactivated by MSTS in 1952 for voyages to Europe, the Far East, and the Arctic. In the wake of the "...Hungarian Revolution in late October 1956, MARINE CARP departed New York 18 December for Bremerhaven where she arrived [on] the 28th to embark Hungarian refugees seeking a new life of freedom in the United States. By September 1958 MARINE CARP was back in the reserve fleet and her name struck from the Navy list on 11 September. MARINE CARP was sold in 1967 "...and converted to a general cargo ship named GREEN SPRINGS." www.history.navy.mil/danfs/m4/marine_carp.htm

There are several personal narratives of emigrants to Israel on the internet who were passengers on the MARINE CARP, but since the dates for these memories are at odds with the dates in the DANFS - there might have been another MARINE CARP that sailed for American Export Lines to Haifa after 1946. For example, Elihu King writes: "The MARINE CARP was a semi-converted Liberty ship, and accommodation was frugal.... The Atlantic was very rough and most of us on board were badly seasick. I avoided being sick by sleeping on the deck and never going below until I got my sea legs. There were some deck chairs lashed to a rail on a hatch cover and that was my place for the first three days and nights....While cruising through a now calm Mediterranean we got news on the ship's radio that the State of Israel had been declared." www.avirr.com/eli/eli-warrior.html [That would be May 1948.] A June 8, 1948 New York Post article told about an incident in May in which the Lebanese military boarded the MARINE CARP and imprisoned 69 passengers who were heading for Palestine, including 41 Americans (http://www.varchive.org/obs/480608.htm)

NOTE - NFFS copy editor, CORNELIA CORSON, forfeits a kidney at Mt. Sinai Health Center on 2 September. Her speedy recuperation will mean that NFFS will again have fewer typos, split infinitives, and misspellings. Gesundheit, Connie!

NEWS FROM FORT SCHUYLER is a periodic unofficial announcement of news about the SUNY Maritime College and its alumni and faculty, written and distributed by the former Head Librarian, Richard Corson, who is responsible for all mistakes and omissions contained herein. Material from this newsletter may be reproduced, with credit to Richard Corson. If you wish to be added to or removed from the distribution list, please notify Richard at rcorson@nyc.rr.com ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Richard Corson - Forest Hills, NY Latitude 40.716N Longitude -73.85W ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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Richard Corson - Forest Hills, NY

Latitude 40.716N Longitude 73.85W

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