William Keim joined the U.S. Merchant Marine in 1943 at the age of 17. He was called to active duty when he turned 18 years old that same year. For the next two years, he served as an oilerman on Liberty Ships in both the Atlantic and the Pacific theaters, transporting critical supplies and evading constant enemy efforts to sink their ships. In this edition of Veterans Chronicles, Keim tells all about the Liberty Ships and his role in keeping the engines running smoothly. He details the constant threat of German U-Boats in the North Atlantic, what the American vessels did to avoid getting sunk, and the horror of witnessing other ships getting hit without being able to help the souls on board. He also explains what it was like for the ships to be strafed by German planes and also be the targets of buzz bombs while in port on Christmas 1944. Finally, Keim shares what it was like for the U.S. Merchant Marine veterans to receive the Congressional Gold Medal and long overdue recognition for their service.
