AMMM Medal Collection, Second World War

The American Merchant Marine Museum has a small collection of Second World War decorations and medals in its holdings. The core of this group is a shadow box display that once most probably lived in Bowditch Hall alongside the Merchant Marine Academy's collection of Gallant Ship plaques or aboard the Emery Rice when the training ship served as the United States Merchant Marine Academy's museum.

The shadow box contains the breadth of decorations granted by the United States federal government to American Merchant Mariners during the Second World War. The medals and ribbons comprise of the complete set of personal and group decorations available to merchant seamen by 1946; noticeably lacking are decorations issued by the Philippine Republic. Where appropriate, an award card and ribbon bar accompany each medal, with the noted absence of the Merchant Marine Victory Medal award card. Despite the Museum's inventory date of 2012, all items point to mounting in the late-1940s - the ribbons have aluminum backings, and the medals' suspension rings and drape-stitching are consistent with 1940s-issued examples. Of note is the Mariner's Medal - medal's reverse is displayed - showing the "Torch of Liberty" instead of the obverse with the "walking eagle."

In terms of conservation, the case itself and the artifacts it houses are in poor condition - perhaps an apt metaphor for the memory of the wartime Merchant Marine. The award cards are foxed and faded due to exposure to humidity and sunlight, and the medals exhibit flaking of plating. Red bronze and gold leaf do not take kindly to moisture, and the ribbons' aluminum backing shows signs of oxidation. This deterioration is most probably due to the fact the Museum's predecessor was a ship - salt air is never kind to medals - or the case was improperly displayed or stored for some time. These days, the Museum has sound environmental controls - if the caked dust is wiped away, these old memories will shine.

The other medals and decorations in this collection may be found interspersed throughout the Museum. A noted display in the 142 Room is the Gallant Ship Citation ribbon bar and Mariner's Medal awarded to Arthur R. Chamberlain, Jr. - a cadet-midshipman who lost his life on the SS Stephen Hopkins.

Nevertheless, the bulk of the Museum's medals and old wartime insignia remain in storage. Those medals on display - such as those of Cadet-Midshipman Chamberlain - enhance an exhibit's narrative and are not displayed for the sake of presentation.