1.   Bills in Congress to grant veteran status to merchant mariners have gone nowhere, largely because of Air Force opposition.

2.   During the Gulf War, when the Navy made a call for experienced merchant mariners to help transport equipment to the Middle East, Mr. Pearson responded.

3.   Elkaim poured himself a shot of whiskey, a nightly habit picked up from years as a merchant mariner.

4.   He said he became interested in the Andrea Doria through a fellow merchant mariner and close friend, John Carrothers.

5.   Nineteen merchant mariners were killed.

6.   They prey on merchant mariners, fishermen, shippers, even pleasure sailors and scuba divers of all nationalities.

7.   But some Liberty ships started to split like glass at sea, and merchant mariners started to refuse to work them.

8.   Off the Tuscan coast, a merchant mariner from Cape Verde also was lost in rough weather.

9.   Their donation was the first ornament planted next to a memorial to World War II merchant mariners.

10.   Estonian merchant mariners train to international standards.