4/1/2006
By Emily Anne Croom
Answers for the beginner, the befuddled and anyone hitting a brick wall.
Q. My grandfather was in the US Merchant Marine from 1893 to 1915. Where would I search for records?
A. Merchant mariners (aka merchant seamen) work on commercial cargo ships to and from US ports. During wartime, they've also served as auxiliaries to military and naval forces. To find information about your grandfather; begin by gathering clues from family and local sources, including hometown newspapers, and from the 1900 and 1910 federal censuses.
Next, request a search of Merchant Marine records at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis (314-801-9250, <archives.gov/st-louis>; click on Civilian Personnel Records, then Request Access to Records). Give your grandfather's full name, his birth date and approximate employment dates. Since he was born more than 100 years ago, you don't have to provide proof of his death. The Coast Guard's National Maritime Center (202-493-1050, <www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/nmc/web>) in Arlington, Va., holds merchant seamen records dating from the late 1930s, but isn't likely to have records from your grandfather's era.