Merrill's Marauders: WWII jungle fighting unit approved for congressional medal

[murielm99]

2. My dad was one of them.

He died in 2013.

My dad trained as a cavalryman, with an actual horse. My mother has a picture of him somewhere with his horse, wearing his uniform with jodhpurs.

He and his unit were shipped overseas as replacement troops for the Marauders. That was the last they saw of their horses. They suffered horrific casualties from combat and disease. For some reason, there was a glitch in their supplies, and they were not getting enough to eat.

My dad spoke very little of those times, even when we were older. My brother had to practically grill him to get any details. He spoke more of the culture in India and Burma, of the times he was able to go on leave.

My dad, a sturdy farm boy, became quite thin as they marched across Burma and fought the enemy from the rear. He was nineteen years old.

He finished out his time in the military as an MP in China. He caught hepatitis, and came home weighing ninety-five pounds. He was always thin after that.

I will have to find out if my mother knows about the medal. She is ninety-one, and still living.

Merrill's Marauders are considered the first Army Rangers.