MERRRILL'S MARAUDERS | Special Ops Forces of WWII | Rare Documentary Film
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
- 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 China-Burma-India Theater of Operations, or CBI, during World War II. 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 1,200 kilometres (750 mi) through some of the harshest jungle terrain in the world, fought in 5 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
1944 This film covers the secret campaign, under General Frank D. Merrill, to reopen the Burma Road behind enemy lines during World War II.
- SUBSCRIBE to Bright Enlightenment:
/ brightenlightenment
- LIKE our page on Facebook:
/ brightenlightenment
- TWITTER:
/ brightenlightenment
- WEBSITE:
www.BrightEnlig...
#socom #SF #SPECOPS #SpecialForces #WW2 #documentary #usarmy #goarmy
My father, Zelmond Logan Miller, aka Jim Miller, was part of this unit - he was one of the survivors of the battle for Myitkyina who were still able to march and fight. He rarely talked about his experiences, but bore the scars all his life from shrapnel wounds in his left arm and both knees, and a silver plate in his skull. He had 5 Purple Hearts. He died at age 94 3/4 in January 2013. His canvas field jacket bore that patch, plus a large leather patch on the back with Chinese characters.
My dad Edward was one of 3,000 or so original Marauder's having landed in India in late 1943. Let's see, according to their website as of January 1944, he was initially attached to Headquarters group. Here are some of the things he told my brothers and I. Incidently, he never liked watching war movies and on a whole never really talked too much about his experiences there and if he did if was a short talk. He spoke of walking and leading Mules & of the training he had received in Trinidad and then India before the group went into Burma. Yeah a lot of walking. His M.O. was stock and supply. He was on occasion a BAR man among other tasks. Since growing up on a farm, and with a nick name Eagle Eye, he was a crack marksman. His sister told me that he preferred walking point because he considered it safer than running with the pack. Cut general Merrill's hair on more than one occasion. Told of the stories of dealing with parachute drops for supplies which was always an interesting give and take with the japanese. My older brother tells a story that Dad got involved in one of the offensives where the Japanese had amassed a sizable force in the hundreds on the other side of a river with the result of many Bonzi attacks directed against his group. Told of how his BAR would get white hot. I can only imagine …. Received his Combat Infantrymen's Badge and a separate Bronze Star while there.
He was 33 yrs old in mid 1943, so I imagine he was no doubt a little older than the average age of the rank and file group as a whole. To this end, I remember him telling me that there were a number of guys apparently in their very early twenties and in his opinion were a little too gung-ho for his liking. For example, when bored, some would shoot monkeys out of trees. Said these shot monkeys would sound like children screaming as they lay dying. Left him among other things on top of having to be there, with a sick stomach. Claims he never volunteered for the group. Story was, while at base in Texas, they had asked some of the top shots as he was one of them, if they wanted to volunteer for a special mission type scenario. Some volunteered and others did not. Well, a couple of weeks later, he received orders to go to Trinidad and he said, who should be there waiting for them when they got off the boat but the same fellas who had volunteered earlier. What a surprise - They all got shipped to India and into the assembled group there. Apparently contrary to what they may want you to believe, the entire force of the 3,000 were not all volunteers and the Army had to fill in the gaps to make a Battalion force up. But such is history. He told me he had got a little over 3/4 the way to Myitkyina before coming down first with Malaria, then Typhus which then landed him eventually via a serious of make shift field hospitals, in a hospital for 3 months in India. Very, very high fevers. As a result he never really got over the Typhus/Malaria and I believe this limited his ability to do prolonged intense physical labor and be in the direct sun without some degree of retribution upon his body. He always had a supply of Quinine around the house. Yeah in reality non of it was for glory or country as history prefers to remember it as.
The Marauders, were from the start a hodge of assembled Army members eventually comprising a battalion force, that was meant by career officer Gen. Stillwell to be a completely disposable unit and to that end, he used them as such.
Thank you for the personal story. My great uncle Luther also served in the Marauders, I wish I was closer to him before he passed and talked with him more about his time.
My great Uncle Luther served, maybe I saw him. I appreciate you posting this video, only footage I know of The Merrill's Marauders. Rangers lead the way!
My dad was in the air over the CBI, 1st Air Commandos, he was a flight engineer/load master on C-47's. He said he flew into the air field before it was secured.
Ranger family tree
What a waste of men and money the India, Burma, Phillipines were. Another example of how the US military has always done less with more.
The U.S also does more with less, these guys were almost always outnumbered.
This is the only film that exists of the group of men with Merrill's Maraud who are engaged in combat you're the 20th General Hospital in Assam... My father, Robert Bourgeois, was a combat medic with the group of men you see in this film... At about 18 minutes into the film I see a man beginning to pick up a stretcher and as he stands and turns the camera pans past him and it actually might have been my father... These were places my Pa told us about whenever his war experience came up.
My grandfather was there.
My great grandpa was apart of merrils marauders he died in the wester front
My grandfather Herbert D William's was in this unit.
The Chaplin was correct this is an incredibly important film,. In the 1/75th in the '80s we kept your crest to honor where we came from, with humility. Lead The Way!
My dad was part of the 475th or MARS Task Force in India and Burma. I recall he talked about his 530th unit finally captured the Myitkyina Airfield (sounds like Michinaw, who knew?). He talked being so thin from Malaria and about having to hold up his socks with string tied to his shorts. He said that they marched through jungle with machetes cutting foliage in front of them. He said the jungle was so thick that if you stuck your hand in, you could not see it. Dad said that whatever was cut grew back the next day. He saw so many men burn and die in plane crashes from take-offs or landings there, that he feared flying for several decades afterwards. It is so hard to believe now that so many of these soldiers were teenagers or only in their early 20's.
Sharon Hoerr my dad as well. Also the 124th Calvary. K-9 Unit. Bronze Star Medal. He never really talked much at all about his experience there. I really wish he would’ve. It broke his heart he had to put his dog down due to heart worm.
My Great Uncle Frank was in 5307 hdq white team
My grandfather was in the U.S. Army's 5307th Composite Unit Provisional/Merrills Marauders
His name was Delbert P Lowe
Stillwell should have been court martialed for the way he used and abused the 5307th.
Thank you for this priceless and important film.
Great demonstration of the combat conditions.
the poor mules should have received many medals of honor!!!!
these guys where hard as a diamond and achieved the impossible. Respect.