Some years ago I came upon a story about the service of the Queen Mary in World War 2. When FDR and the Congress in Joint Session declared war on both Japan and Germany in response to the attack on Pearl Harbor, the President said:"This is a day which will live in infamy."
Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of Britain under King George VI said something entirely different: "Now we shall win! Now we shall win!!" (His country had been bombed by the German air force for years, and Churchill had been begging the USA to come join the fight, as in World War I.)
So the British Navy called home it's luxurious ocean liner of the Cunard Line, stripped it of it's furnishings, and sent it guarded by warships to New York City. Thereafter, the largest and fastest ship in the world, the Queen Mary, became an American troop transport, bringing from 10 to 16,000 soldiers to the British Isles, in a build up to D-Day in June of 1944.
Hour after hour, day after day, week after week for years the Queen Mary, always at full throttle, went to Britain loaded with soldiers, and returned empty to New York to be filled again with the kind of Yanks who had helped save them in WW I.
After the Great War, the Queen Mary returned to her former services. In 1962, Britain chose to dispose of "The Grand Old Lady", and it was sold to the City of Long Beach, CA. That is where it serves today as a fine showpiece, hotel, and event center.
But the British are quite invested personally in their ships, and this one bore the name of Queen Elizabeth II's grandmother. While in the USA, we use our old ships for target practice for our new technology.... the British, not so much. Below are links to 2 videos from 1962, that together tell the story of the sendoff of the Queen Mary, and it's arrival on the West Coast. WATCH THEM BOTH!!!
While we might think they were a little crazy, there is a reason. Watch for the band playing! Watch for the confetti and flags in the wind! Look for the British sailors on several ships standing in salute as the Queen Mary leaves Southampton. See the gray heads of the British people lining every available spot to view her departure. Remember how cold the North Atlantic is in any season! Watch for the "Flying Anchor" by their helicopters till you see it. Look for the flotilla of ships in the Long Beach harbor that accompany this massive and powerful ship to it's final destination.
WHY ALL THIS FUSS over a ship? Simply, they knew that this ship (by bringing American soldiers) helped save their lives, their country, and most of Europe from an evil dictator driving an evil political machine. Their response is just GRATITUDE for the service of one of the most faithful participants in the victories gained in the European theatre of World War II.
Maybe this will help us realize the value of those who gave so much, for so many, for so long.... You may have to highlight and then right click on the links for the option to play them.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ex33OMrYyE No commentary
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IDgJ1ID-b4 Commentary by a British Newsman
A little fun trivia: The Queen Mary II has one of the two horns from the Queen Mary. On the rare occasion that the Queen Mary II visits California, the two ships greet each other with the sounding of their horns! The Queens had the deepest and lowest tones of any horns, making their sounding unique from any other ships.
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