Fried's service with the United States Lines after 1921 was as a member of the Merchant Marine.
He served as chief officer on the United States Lines' luxury liner SS President Grant and briefly in this position as well on the USS America.
He married Laura Parmenter on March 21, 1922 in New York.

In 1922, Fried was promoted to the captaincy of the luxury liner SS President Roosevelt.
 
On January 20, 1926, with Fried as captain, Roosevelt received an SOS from the British steam cargo ship Antinoe.
 After several attempts amidst violent snowstorms and rough seas, Roosevelt succeeded in rescuing her crew of twenty-five on midnight of the following day.
The rescue was made memorable by the Roosevelt's persistence in remaining with the sinking Antinoe despite rough seas, snow, and bitter cold.
After completing the rescue of her crew, Roosevelt left the listing, damaged Antinoe abandoned with no electrical power.
 On her return to Hoboken Pier, Roosevelt was greeted by local dignitaries, including New Jersey Governor Harry Moore, who gave an address.
Roosevelt's officers and crew were entertained by a band, received a twenty-one-gun salute, and were welcomed to New York by Mayor Jimmy Walker, after a stay at the Roosevelt Hotel and a ticker-tape parade.
For his heroic efforts, Fried was awarded the Navy Cross and both he and members of the Roosevelt's crew were decorated by the British government.

Fried took command of the SS America in 1928.
Only three years after his previous rescue, while serving as captain of the SS America, Fried rescued the thirty-two man crew of the Italian steamship Florida in freezing weather and violent snow squalls.
America was heading to New York from France.
As she battled her way through a major storm, the liner picked up distress signals from Florida.
Navigating with the aid of a radio direction finder, the America fixed a location on the Italian ship, and late the following afternoon on January 28, 1929, sighted the endangered vessel.

Pulling alongside of Florida's weather beam, America launched a lifeboat, commanded by her chief officer, Harry Manning, with an eight-man crew.
Manning's crew rowed the lifeboat to within fifty feet of the listing Florida, and a line was thrown to the frantic crew of the freighter.
One by one, men from the Italian ship came across the rope.
By the time the Florida's captain had been pulled on board the lifeboat as the last man, winds were gale force, and the seas were rough and high.
After rowing the lifeboat back to the America, her sailors helped haul aboard the survivors of the Florida using ladders, ropes, cargo nets, and two homemade breeches buoy.
 The breeches buoys were basically zip lines tied from America's large life raft containing the rescued crew of the Florida to the waiting America.
Fried became a national hero when his account of the story was widely distributed by newspapers.

In 1931, Fried rescued Lew Aichers when his plane crashed fifteen miles off the coast of Ireland.
 On November 30, 1931, Fried took command of the United States Lines' SS Manhattan, launched from Camden, New Jersey.
She was a 705-foot long, 30,000-ton merchantman.
During his career with United States Lines, Fried also captained the SS Leviathan for three trips during the illness of her Captain A. B. Randall.

With his exceptional career well established, Fried commanded the luxury ocean liner SS Washington, first launched on August 20, 1932.
She would become the flag ship of the United States Lines from 1934–40.
Fried's service with the United States Lines after 1921 was as a member of the Merchant Marine. He served as chief officer on the United States Lines' luxury liner SS President Grant and briefly in this position as well on the USS America. He married Laura Parmenter on March 21, 1922 in New York.
In 1922, Fried was promoted to the captaincy of the luxury liner SS President Roosevelt.  
On January 20, 1926, with Fried as captain, Roosevelt received an SOS from the British steam cargo ship Antinoe.  After several attempts amidst violent snowstorms and rough seas, Roosevelt succeeded in rescuing her crew of twenty-five on midnight of the following day. The rescue was made memorable by the Roosevelt's persistence in remaining with the sinking Antinoe despite rough seas, snow, and bitter cold. After completing the rescue of her crew, Roosevelt left the listing, damaged Antinoe abandoned with no electrical power.  On her return to Hoboken Pier, Roosevelt was greeted by local dignitaries, including New Jersey Governor Harry Moore, who gave an address. Roosevelt's officers and crew were entertained by a band, received a twenty-one-gun salute, and were welcomed to New York by Mayor Jimmy Walker, after a stay at the Roosevelt Hotel and a ticker-tape parade. For his heroic efforts, Fried was awarded the Navy Cross and both he and members of the Roosevelt's crew were decorated by the British government.
Fried took command of the SS America in 1928. Only three years after his previous rescue, while serving as captain of the SS America, Fried rescued the thirty-two man crew of the Italian steamship Florida in freezing weather and violent snow squalls. America was heading to New York from France. As she battled her way through a major storm, the liner picked up distress signals from Florida. Navigating with the aid of a radio direction finder, the America fixed a location on the Italian ship, and late the following afternoon on January 28, 1929, sighted the endangered vessel.
Pulling alongside of Florida's weather beam, America launched a lifeboat, commanded by her chief officer, Harry Manning, with an eight-man crew. Manning's crew rowed the lifeboat to within fifty feet of the listing Florida, and a line was thrown to the frantic crew of the freighter. One by one, men from the Italian ship came across the rope. By the time the Florida's captain had been pulled on board the lifeboat as the last man, winds were gale force, and the seas were rough and high. After rowing the lifeboat back to the America, her sailors helped haul aboard the survivors of the Florida using ladders, ropes, cargo nets, and two homemade breeches buoy.  The breeches buoys were basically zip lines tied from America's large life raft containing the rescued crew of the Florida to the waiting America. Fried became a national hero when his account of the story was widely distributed by newspapers.
In 1931, Fried rescued Lew Aichers when his plane crashed fifteen miles off the coast of Ireland.  On November 30, 1931, Fried took command of the United States Lines' SS Manhattan, launched from Camden, New Jersey. She was a 705-foot long, 30,000-ton merchantman. During his career with United States Lines, Fried also captained the SS Leviathan for three trips during the illness of her Captain A. B. Randall.
With his exceptional career well established, Fried commanded the luxury ocean liner SS Washington, first launched on August 20, 1932. She would become the flag ship of the United States Lines from 1934–40.
George Fried