Frank Merrill

Frank Dow Merrill (born December 4, 1903 in Hopkinton , Massachusetts , † December 11, 1955 in Fernandina Beach , Florida ) was a major general in the US Army .

Frank Merrill became known for his outstanding leadership of the Merrill's Marauders , officially the 5307th Composite Unit (provisional) , a major unit at the brigade level of the US Army Rangers , during the Burma campaign in World War II .

Merrill's Ranger Association was subordinate to the Northern Combat Area Command under the command of General Joseph Stilwell and developed in the course of this campaign, together with the Chindits , a British - Indian association, basic tactics for special operations units, such as long range penetration and guerrilla warfare in Small groups behind enemy lines.

Life

Merill joined the Army in 1922 and earned the rank of sergeant before being transferred to West Point to pursue the officer career, where he graduated in 1929. In 1938 Merill became an assistant to the American military attaché in Tokyo , where he studied the Japanese language . In 1941 he was assigned as an intelligence officer to the staff of General Douglas MacArthur in the Philippines . During the attack on Pearl Harbor , Merill was on a mission to Rangoon , Burma, and stayed there when the Japanese Army attacked Burma. In 1942 Merill was promoted to Brigadier General .

For the main article, see Merrill's Marauders

After World War II and his military service in the Philippines , Merill resigned from the Army to hold the post of Commissioner of Highways (Eng. "Expressway Representative") in New Hampshire . Most recently he was elected President of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials , but died in that capacity just two days.

The list of awards General Merill has received during his military service includes the Distinguished Service Medal , a Purple Heart , the Bronze Star , the Legion of Merit, and the Combat Infantryman Badge .

Camp Frank D. Merrill near the town of Dahlonega , Georgia , a Ranger School training facility for the three-week mountain hunter training section , was named after him.

Merrill was portrayed by Jeff Chandler in the 1962 film Merrill's Marauders .

personal data
SURNAME	Merrill, Frank
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Merrill, Frank Dow (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American military, Major General in the US Army
DATE OF BIRTH	4th December 1903
PLACE OF BIRTH	Hopkinton , Massachusetts
DATE OF DEATH	December 11, 1955
Place of death	Fernandina Beach , Florida