Gayle Anderson reports May is Military Appreciation Month. The SS Lane Victory, a U.S. Merchant Marine vessel in San Pedro, a National Historic Landmark named after a former slave.

Although the U.S. Merchant Mariners are not a part of the military, the civilian seamen served as part of the U.S. military, transporting supplies and personnel.

Between 1939 and 1945, 9,521 merchant mariners lost their lives — a higher proportion than those killed in any military branch, according to the National World War II Museum because many of the merchant marine vessels did not have combat equipment.

The SS Lane Victory is preparing to screen the documentary Invisible Warriors: American Women in World War II, the story of the African American “Rosie the Riveters” who recount what life was really like during World War II. They left lives working as domestics and sharecroppers to empower themselves while working in war production and U.S. government offices.  (invisibilewarriorsfilm.com)

Regarding women in the military, actor, filmmaker, and playwright Tyler Perry is producing and directing a new historical war drama entitled “Six Triple Eight” about the women of the only all-Black female unit that served during World War Two upon receiving information that they were finally going to receive recognition with the issuance of their Congressional Gold Medals.

Also, this month, there’s information about how we can help the Foundation for Women Warriors, a nonprofit organization that provides women who have served during any era, in any branch of the military urgent and critical relief to navigate life’s obstacles, prevent homelessness and more.

And there’s the documentary Our Service, Our Stories: The Evolution of The LGBT Military Experience. Filmed, directed, and edited by the Veteran clients at the Los Angeles LGBT Center under the Direction of award-winning filmmaker Andrew Putschoegl, the film features LGBT veterans who served between 1951 and 2017. The short documentary was made by a small group of senior veterans at the Los Angeles LGBT Center to ensure their military experiences are not ignored. See the documentary at centerplus.lalgbtcenter.org/our-service-our-stories

And don’t forget, San Pedro is preparing for 2023 L.A. Fleet Week (lafleetweek.com), which is another opportunity to honor members of the military.

If you have questions, please feel free to contact Gayle Anderson at 323-460-5732, email Gayle at Gayle.Anderson@KTLA.com, Facebook: Gayle Anderson, Instagram: KTLAChannel5Gayle and Twitter: KTLA5Gayle.

Gayle Anderson reports for the KTLA 5 News on May 24, 2023.