{{Short description|American sailor and Benedictine monk (1914–2001)}} {{More citations needed|date=July 2018}} {{Infobox person | name = Leonard LaRue | birth_date = January 14, 1914 | death_date = October 14, 2001 | education = the Pennsylvania Nautical School }} Captain '''Leonard LaRue''' (January 14, 1914 – October 14, 2001), later known as "Brother Marinus", was the [[skipper (boating)|skipper]] of the [[SS Meredith Victory|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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/20/us/leonard-larue-rescuer-in-the-korean-war-dies-at-87.html|title=Leonard LaRue, Rescuer in the Korean War, Dies at 87|first=Richard|last=Goldstein|date=October 20, 2001|access-date=June 18, 2021|via=NYTimes.com|quote=The United States Maritime Administration called his feat "the greatest rescue by a single ship in the annals of the sea."}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/largest-evacuation-from-land-by-a-single-ship|title=Largest evacuation from land by a single ship|publisher=Guinness World Records|access-date=June 18, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://nedforney.com/index.php/2018/07/23/leonard-larue-meredith-victory-hungnam-evacuation/|title=Guided By God's Own Hand: Captain Leonard LaRue And The Meredith Victory|first=Ned|last=Forney|date=July 23, 2018|access-date=June 18, 2021|quote=SS Meredith Victory’s Guinness World Record. (Photo credit: Ned Forney) Certificate The SS Meredith Victory performed the greatest rescue operation ever by a single ship by evacuating 14,000 refugees from Hungnam, North Korea in December 1950 Keeper of the Records. GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS LTD}}</ref> Under LaRue's leadership, the ship evacuated over 14,000 refugees to safety during the [[Hungnam evacuation]], [[Korean War]].
== Early career == Leonard LaRue attended the [[Pennsylvania Nautical School]], served aboard the Schoolship [[USS Annapolis (PG-10)|''Annapolis'']], and graduated in 1934.<ref>[https://gencat1.eloquent-systems.com/webcat/request/DoMenuRequest?SystemName=Independence+Seaport+Museum&UserName=archives+public&Password=&TemplateProcessID=6000_3355&bCachable=1&MenuName=Independence+Seaport+Museum Pennsylvania Nautical School Collection]. 2016. Finding Aid.</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=The Helm|publisher=Pennsylvania Nautical School|year=1934|location=Philadelphia, PA|pages=28}}</ref>
==Rescue operation== Three days before Christmas in 1950, Captain LaRue's SS ''Meredith Victory'' was delivering military supplies to the besieged port of [[Hungnam]] 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 [[People's Republic of China|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 ''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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-oct-22-me-60282-story.html|title=Leonard LaRue, 87; His Small Ship Rescued 14,000 Refugees|date=October 22, 2001|website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> The ship arrived in Pusan on [[Christmas Eve]] before heading to its final destination, [[Geojedo|Geoje Island]].
==After the war== After the war, LaRue entered [[St. Paul's Abbey (New Jersey)|St. Paul's Abbey]] near [[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 given the religious name "Brother Marinus".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/11/nyregion/a-tale-of-salvation.html|title=A Tale of Salvation|first=Jennifer|last=Goldblatt|date=January 11, 2004|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref> On March 25, 2019, Bishop Arthur Serratelli, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson opened the canonization cause for Captain LaRue, known as Brother Marinus, OSB.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.osb.org/2019/04/02/bishop-of-paterson-new-jersey-usa-opens-sainthood-cause-of-brother-marinus-larue-osb/ |title=Bishop of Paterson, New Jersey (USA) Opens Sainthod Cause of Brother Marinus LaRue OSB |website=osb.org |year=2019 |access-date=2019-08-16 |archive-date=2019-08-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190816150811/https://www.osb.org/2019/04/02/bishop-of-paterson-new-jersey-usa-opens-sainthood-cause-of-brother-marinus-larue-osb/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Awards and decorations== * [[Order of Military Merit (South Korea)|Gold Star Eulji - Order of Military Merit]] (1955)<ref>[https://newslibrary.naver.com/viewer/index.naver?articleId=1955122400329203032&editNo=1&printCount=1&publishDate=1955-12-24&officeId=00032&pageNo=3&printNo=3104&publishType=00020 華府(화부)서乙支勳章授與(을지훈장수여) 興南撤收(흥남철수)에有功船長(유공선장)]</ref> * [[Orders, decorations, and medals of South Korea#Commendations|Presidential Citation]] (1958)<ref>[https://theworldview.co.kr/archives/15215 6·25 한국전쟁과 흥남철수작전의 메시지: 생명의 항해]</ref> * [[Merchant Marine Meritorious Service Medal]] (1960)<ref>[https://www.ncregister.com/features/heroic-mariner-monk-sails-for-sainthood-servant-of-god-marinus-larue Heroic Mariner-Monk Sails for Sainthood: Servant of God Marinus LaRue]</ref>
== See also == * [[Hungnam evacuation]]
==References== {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Larue, Leonard}} [[Category:1914 births]] [[Category:2001 deaths]]
[[Category:Sailors from New Jersey]] [[Category:20th-century American sailors]] [[Category:American Benedictines]] [[Category:American sea captains]] [[Category:People from Newton, New Jersey]] [[Category:Catholics from New Jersey]] [[Category:American Servants of God]] [[Category:21st-century venerated Christians]]