Leonard LaRue
Encyclopedia
Captain Leonard LaRue later known as "Brother Marinus", was the skipper of the SS Meredith Victory
, a United States Merchant Marine
cargo freighter that was involved in the largest humanitarian rescue operation by a single ship in human history. Under LaRue's leadership, the ship evacuated over 14,000 refugees to safety during the Korean War
.
in northeast Korea
. Nearly 100,000 Korean refugees had gathered, hoping to board ships evacuating United Nations Command soldiers, arms, and supplies to safety in the southern port of Pusan.
With the SS Meredith Victory as one of the last remaining ships, over 14,000 refugees remained. LaRue made the decision to unload nearly all of the arms and supplies on the ship in order to board as many refugees as possible.
Only hours away from advancing Chinese
and North Korea
n communist forces, LaRue ordered the ship to be converted to hold the refugees and was able to evacuate the refugees out of Hungnam.
On December 23, the SS Meredith Victory sailed south with no mine detection equipment, no doctor, no interpreter, no lighting in the holds, no heat, and no sanitation facilities. The ship's only gun was the pistol in Captain LaRue's pocket. The ship arrived in Pusan on Christmas Eve
before heading to its final destination, Koje Island.
in Newton, New Jersey
to live out his days as a Benedictine
monk
. He committed his days to the tradition of ora et labora -- prayer and work—and was christened "Brother Marinus".
St. Paul's Abbey ceased operating in the late 1970s and later fell into disrepair. In 2000, the remaining monks asked for permission from the governing Ottilien Congregation
to start phasing out the community, and they started looking for new homes at other abbeys.
Archabbot Jeremias Schroeder arrived from Germany
to evaluate the situation and sought to restore the monastery. After learning about the story of Brother Marinus, Schroeder asked Father Kim of the Waegwan Abbey in Korea for help. Two days after Father Kim accepted the mission and prepared to send his monks to restore the abbey, Brother Marinus died.
SS Meredith Victory
The SS Meredith Victory was a United States Merchant Marine Victory ship, a type of cargo freighter built for World War II. It is best known for evacuating more than 14,000 refugees in a single mission during the Korean War....
, a United States Merchant Marine
United States Merchant Marine
The United States Merchant Marine refers to the fleet of U.S. civilian-owned merchant vessels, operated by either the government or the private sector, that engage in commerce or transportation of goods and services in and out of the navigable waters of the United States. The Merchant Marine is...
cargo freighter that was involved in the largest humanitarian rescue operation by a single ship in human history. Under LaRue's leadership, the ship evacuated over 14,000 refugees to safety during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
.
Rescue Operation
Three days before Christmas in 1950, Captain LaRue's SS Meredith Victory was delivering military supplies to the besieged port of HungnamHungnam
Hŭngnam was the third largest city in North Korea.It is a port city on the eastern coast, in South Hamgyong Province, on the Sea of Japan . The city covers an area of 250 square kilometers...
in northeast Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
. Nearly 100,000 Korean refugees had gathered, hoping to board ships evacuating United Nations Command soldiers, arms, and supplies to safety in the southern port of Pusan.
With the SS Meredith Victory as one of the last remaining ships, over 14,000 refugees remained. LaRue made the decision to unload nearly all of the arms and supplies on the ship in order to board as many refugees as possible.
Only hours away from advancing Chinese
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
and North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
n communist forces, LaRue ordered the ship to be converted to hold the refugees and was able to evacuate the refugees out of Hungnam.
On December 23, the SS Meredith Victory sailed south with no mine detection equipment, no doctor, no interpreter, no lighting in the holds, no heat, and no sanitation facilities. The ship's only gun was the pistol in Captain LaRue's pocket. The ship arrived in Pusan on Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
before heading to its final destination, Koje Island.
After the war
After the war, LaRue entered St. Paul's AbbeySt. Paul's Abbey
St. Paul's Abbey is a Roman Catholic Benedictine monastery in Newton, New Jersey. It was founded by Father Michael Heinlein, a monk of the German Archabbey of St. Ottilien, as a monastery on March 15, 1924....
in Newton, New Jersey
Newton, New Jersey
Newton is a town in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the town population was 8,244. It is the county seat of Sussex County....
to live out his days as a Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
. He committed his days to the tradition of ora et labora -- prayer and work—and was christened "Brother Marinus".
St. Paul's Abbey ceased operating in the late 1970s and later fell into disrepair. In 2000, the remaining monks asked for permission from the governing Ottilien Congregation
Ottilien Congregation
The Ottilien Congregation, often also known as the St. Ottilien Congregation and as the Missionary Benedictines, is a congregation of religious houses within the Benedictine Confederation, the aim of which is to combine the Benedictine way of life with activity in the mission field.-History:The...
to start phasing out the community, and they started looking for new homes at other abbeys.
Archabbot Jeremias Schroeder arrived from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
to evaluate the situation and sought to restore the monastery. After learning about the story of Brother Marinus, Schroeder asked Father Kim of the Waegwan Abbey in Korea for help. Two days after Father Kim accepted the mission and prepared to send his monks to restore the abbey, Brother Marinus died.