World War II veteran Norman K. Schutt celebrated his 100th birthday on March 16 in southeast Ocala with family members, friends and fellow veterans, including 101-year-old WWII veteran Howard Mautner.
Schutt, a native of Saginaw, Michigan, joined the Merchant Marines in January of 1944 and served until August of 1945 on three vessels, according to a presentation by Michelle Langdon, commander of American Legion Ocala Memorial Post 27. The presentation included discussion of the vital role of the Merchant Marine in supplying materials and troops during the war.
The article “Supplying Victory: The History of Merchant Marine in World War II” on the National WWII Museum website, states that there were 243,000 mariners who served in the war and 9,521 perished while serving; a higher proportion of those killed than any other branch of the US military…