In Europe there is a perception that the American efforts during WWII were only done by the US Government and the US armed forces(Army,Navy and Airforce).However there were also civilians involved in fighting the Germans and Japanese one of these groups were called “the Hooligan Navy” one of their members was no other then Ernest Hemingway.
In early 1942, with the world at war, American Naval and Coast Guard resources were stretched so thin that the Eastern Seaboard was virtually unprotected. Brazenly operating close to shore, German U-boats were a genuine threat to American Merchant Marine vessels, causing the deaths of hundreds of sailors. To counteract this threat, The “Hooligan Navy” was formed by the members of the Cruising Club of America, an organization of New England Yachtsmen. This ragtag group of sailors, undraftable reservists and adventurers were adopted by the U.S. Coast Guard and officially christened the Coastal Picket…
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