BERLIN — On Aug. 3, 2013, veteran Chris Conlin of Berlin would like to have a military graveside memorial service for his father, who is buried at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne, N.Y., but Chris is still waiting for the Department of Veterans Affairs to get in touch with the trustees of St. Patrick's Cathedral to approve the services.

Richard R. Conlin, lieutenant/master USMS, graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in April of 1944. He served in the Merchant Marines as a midshipman and second mate in the Battle of the Atlantic, and he also served during the invasion of Normandy and Operation Torch in Africa.

Although merchant mariners are usually not considered members of the U.S. armed services, during World War II, they risked their lives bringing much-needed supplies, arms and equipment to the Allies. Those ships were in constant danger from the German U-boats, and thousands of Merchant Marine ships were lost to those submarines, taking with them the men who served on those ships.

In 1988, the merchant mariners who served in World War II were recognized as veterans, too late for Richard Conlin to be afforded a funeral with military honors.

Richard Conlin is officially recognized as a veteran of World War II, having served from Jan. 16, 1942, to Aug. 15, 1945. He was honorably discharged, with the reason of the discharge listed on his certificate of release as “end of hostilities.”

He died on Aug. 3, 1968, when his son was 10 years old. Chris remembers going to the Manhattan Veterans Administration's regional offices with his mother as she applied for her husband's World War II benefits and burial benefits. According to the younger Conlin, he and his mother were thrown out of those offices in 1968, 1969 and 1971.

“I've tried and tried and nothing got done, and I'm deeply upset about it,” Chris said.

He's worked over the years to have his father's service honored. Among the awards and medals Richard received were the Atlantic War Zone Bar, the Mediterranean-Middle East War Zone Bar, the Combat Bar with stars, the Merchant Marine Emblem, the Honorable Service Button, the Presidential Testimonial Letter and the Victory Medal.

Chris appealed to the Russian government to further honor his father's service and meet with embassy officials in Washington. In 1993, his father was awarded the 40th Anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War Medal. In subsequent communications, embassy official Sergey Kuznetsov, second secretary, wrote to Chris, “The Government and people of the Russian Federation highly admire your Father's deed in those difficult times when our countries stood together united by the common goal of defeating the Nazis. This 'brotherhood in arms' will always stay a remarkable page in the history of Russia-U.S. relations.”

Chris said he also received a very nice letter from Russian President Vladimir Putin, and that officials from the embassy called him personally.

It's been difficult for Chris, who also served his country, with a six-year stint in the Navy. He first went to sea as a merchant mariner when he was 17, and by the time he was 20, he had been around the world twice.

“It's been 44 years fighting with them,” he said of VA. He's got a stack of correspondence and documentation, and he and his mother, who died several years ago, were turned down for other benefits. Now he wants to properly honor his father and is waiting for VA to get services approved.

He said it's not only about his father; it's about providing a proper burial and memorial for all military veterans.

“It means a lot to me because as a 10-year-old, I never had that closure,” he said, hoping that on Aug. 3, 2013, he will finally get that closure.

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Sara Young-Knox may be reached at syoungknox@newstote.com.