16-136 Garand Picture of the Day Merrill's Marauders
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...94_large-1.jpg
Talking with the woman that cuts my hair it came up in conversation that her father was A WW2 Vet.
Me: Where did he serve?
Candy: Burma I think.
Me : What did he do?
Candy: Something to do with communications.
Me: Do you know his unit?
Candy: Merril something or other, not sure never paid attention to that stuff.
Me: Have you ever heard of Merrils Marauders?
Candy:no- He talked about the war but I paid little attention, he had some medals and a sword but I don't know where that stuff is now.
Sad that everybody knew that Prince had died along with China but know little of our history
Merrill’s Marauders (named after Frank Merrill) or Unit Galahad, officially named the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), was a United States Army long range penetration special operations jungle warfare unit, which fought in the South-East Asian theatre of World War II, or China-Burma-India Theater (CBI). The unit became famous for its deep-penetration missions behind Japanese lines, often engaging Japanese forces superior in number.
In slightly more than five months of combat, the Marauders had advanced 750 miles (1,210 km) through some of the harshest jungle terrain in the world, fought in five major engagements (Walawbum, Shaduzup, Inkangahtawng, Nhpum Ga, and Myitkyina) and engaged in combat with the Japanese Army on thirty-two separate occasions, including two conventional defensive battles with enemy forces for which the force had not been intended nor equipped. Battling Japanese soldiers, hunger, fevers, and disease, they had traversed more jungle terrain on their long-range missions than any other U.S. Army formation during World War II.
The men of the Merrill's Marauders enjoyed the rare distinction of having each soldier awarded the Bronze Star. In June 1944, the 5307th Composite Unit (provisional) was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation:
The unit must display such gallantry, determination, and esprit de corps in accomplishing its mission under extremely difficult and hazardous conditions as to set it apart and above other units participating in the same campaign.
On 10 August 1944 the Marauders were consolidated into the 475th Infantry, which continued service in northern Burma as a component of the division-sized MARS Task Force until February 1945. On 21 June 1954 the 475th Infantry was re-designated as the 75th Infantry; thus Merrill's Marauders is the parent of the 75th Infantry Regiment, from which descended the 75th Ranger Regiment.
The reason for the (Provisional) designation was due to the fact that a General officer was not to command a unit as small as the 5307th
