Dad's Merchant Marine Days Part 1

In October of 1945, having celebrated his 17th birthday six weeks earlier, my dad joined the Merchant Marines and served until May of 1950.  My Grand Uncle Clifton recalls, "Jake hoped to join the Navy when he got out of high school but wasn't old enough.  He was old enough to join the Merchant Marines, though.  Jake's dad said if [he] made straight A's his last semester, he'd let him join up.  So [Jake] did, and [his dad] did".  I don't have evidence of my dad finishing high school before he joined the Merchant Marines...more about that in another post.

The following photographs are from an album I found in the collection of family memorabilia that I inherited when my mom died. 


1945
Brooklyn Shipyard
S.S. Argentina
The first five photographs feature my father, Walter J. Schnack, also known as Jake.

3 April 1947 - 29 March 1948
S.S. Arthur J. Tyrer
at port in Berriso, province of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Shipmates
I've left my dad's written captions in the album on the photographs of those he identified.  

In Rosario, a city in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina

In La Plata, the capital city of the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina

In Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay

Back in Rosario

At the River Plata

Yes, this is my dad!