View source for Frank Merrill

{{Short description|United States Army general (1903–1955)}}
{{other people}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox military person
| name          = Frank D. Merrill
| birth_date    = {{birth date|1903|12|04}}
| death_date    = {{death date and age|1955|12|11|1903|12|03}}
| birth_place   = [[Hopkinton, Massachusetts]], United States
| death_place   = [[Fernandina Beach, Florida]], United States
| placeofburial = 
| placeofburial_label = Place of burial
| image         = Frank Merrill pipe.jpg
| caption       = 
| nickname      = 
| allegiance    = {{flag|United States of America}}
| branch        = {{army|United States}}
| serviceyears  = 1922–1948
| rank          = [[File:US-O8 insignia.svg|25px]] [[Major general (United States)|Major General]]
| commands      = [[Merrill's Marauders]]
| battles       = [[World War II]]
| awards        = [[Distinguished Service Medal (U.S. Army)|Distinguished Service Medal]]<br/>[[Bronze Star Medal|Bronze Star]]<br/>[[Legion of Merit]]<br/>[[Purple Heart]]
| laterwork     = 
}}

'''Frank Dow Merrill''' (December 4, 1903 – December 11, 1955) was a [[United States Army]] [[General (United States)|general]] and is best remembered for his command of [[Merrill's Marauders]], officially the 5307th Composite Unit (provisional), in the [[Burma Campaign]] of World War II. Merrill's Marauders came under General [[Joseph Stilwell]]'s [[Northern Combat Area Command]]. It was a [[special forces]] unit modelled on the [[Chindits]]' [[long range penetration]] groups trained to operate from bases deep behind Japanese lines.

==Background and early career==
[[File:Frank Dow Merrill (1903–1955) at West Point in 1929.png|thumb|left|125px|As a West Point cadet]]

Born on December 4, 1903, in [[Hopkinton, Massachusetts]], Merrill lived with his family in [[Amesbury, Massachusetts]], and graduated from [[Amesbury High School]]. He enlisted in the [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] in 1922 and earned the rank of [[Staff Sergeant#United States|staff sergeant]] in Company A, 11th Engineers.

He received an appointment to [[West Point]] in 1925 and he graduated in 1929. He subsequently earned a B.S. in military engineering from the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] in 1932. In 1938, Merrill became the [[Military Attaché]] in Tokyo where he studied the [[Japanese language]].

He joined General [[Douglas MacArthur]]'s staff in the [[Philippines]] in 1941 as a [[military intelligence]] officer. Merrill was on a mission in [[Rangoon]], Burma, at the time of the [[Pearl Harbor]] attack and remained in Burma after the Japanese invasion.

In November 1943, Colonel Merrill was promoted to [[Brigadier general (United States)|brigadier general]] only a month before his fortieth birthday, making him one of the youngest American generals since the Civil War. Even more remarkable was that he had been serving as a commissioned officer for only 14 years. He was promoted to major general in September 1944 at the age of 40.

==Merrill's Marauders==
[[File:Merrill's Marauders planning session.jpg|thumb|Frank D. Merrill (center) explains battle situation to L. Herb Miyazaki and R. Akiji Yoshimura, interpreters for 3rd Battalion 5307th, Burma, 1944]]
In 1943, General Merrill was appointed to command a new volunteer U.S. Army special forces unit patterned after the Long Range Jungle Penetration groups formed by the British to harass Japanese forces in Burma (the [[Chindits]]). The U.S. Army's official name for the unit was the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional). (The title provisional meant the unit was formed for a special mission or operation and would be disbanded afterwards.) Visiting war correspondents, after viewing the 5307th's performance on the firing ranges, promptly dubbed the unit  Merrill's Marauders. General Merrill oversaw the training and deployment of the three battalions of the 5307th into Burma in February 1944.<ref>Gary J. Bjorge, "Merrill's Marauders: Combined Operations in Northern Burma in 1944". ''Army History''. No. 34 (Spring/Summer 1995), pp. 12-28.  {{JSTOR|26304582}}.</ref>

In slightly more than five months of combat behind Japanese lines in Burma, the Marauders, who supported the [[Chinese Army in India|X Force]], advanced 750 miles through some of the harshest jungle terrain in the world, fought in five major engagements ([[Walawbum]], [[Shaduzup]], [[Inkangahtawng]], [[Nhpum Ga]], and [[Siege of Myitkyina|Myitkyina]]) and engaged in combat with the Japanese Army on thirty-two occasions. Battling Japanese soldiers, hunger, and disease, they had traversed more jungle on their long-range patrols than any other U.S. Army unit of the war.

[[File:Generals Stilwell (left) and Merrill.jpg|thumb|General Stilwell (left) and Merrill in 1944]]

On March 29, Merrill suffered his first heart attack and command returned to then executive officer, Colonel [[Charles Newtown Hunter|Charles N. Hunter]]. In their final mission against the Japanese base at Myitkyina, the Marauders suffered 272 killed, 955 wounded, and 980 evacuated for illness and disease. By the time the town of Myitkyina was taken, only about 200 surviving members of the original Marauders were present.

On August 10, 1944, a week after the town's fall to U.S. and Chinese forces, the 5307th was disbanded with a final total of only 130 combat-effective officers and men (out of the original 2,997).

==Post war==
After the war's end, Merrill served in the Philippines.  In early 1946 he was assigned to the headquarters of the 6th Army, headquartered at The Presidio Army Post in San Francisco, under General Stilwell.  In May of the same year, Merrill and Stilwell led two [[USMC|Marine]] platoons to suppress a prison uprising at [[Alcatraz Island|Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary]] in what is known as the [[Battle of Alcatraz]].<ref>''[https://books.google.com/books?id=ObIQUpJxHZYC&dq=Battle+of+Alcatraz+Stillwell&pg=PA9 The Encyclopedia of American Prisons]'' by Carl Sifakis, pg. 9</ref>

Due to post-war downsizing of the Army, Merrill was reduced in rank to brigadier general on 1 June 1946.  He retired from the Army in his permanent rank of colonel on 30 June 1948, and was promoted to brigadier general on the retired list the next day.

After retiring from the Army, Merrill became the [[New Hampshire]] Commissioner of Highways.  In December 1955, he was elected President of the [[American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials]] but died two days later in [[Fernandina Beach, Florida]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/build02.cfm|title = Section 2 - Building the Interstate - Interstate System - Highway History - Federal Highway Administration}}</ref>

==Legacy==
In 1992, General Merrill was inducted into the U.S. Army [[Ranger Hall of Fame]][https://ranger.org/Ranger-Hall-of-Fame/] as a member of its inaugural class of inductees.

The [[Everett Turnpike]] bridge over New Hampshire's [[Souhegan River]] was a favorite of Merrill's, and is dedicated to Merrill's Marauders.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.marauder.org/bridge01.htm|title=Merrill's Marauders Bridge Dedication}}</ref>

Camp Frank D. Merrill, near [[Dahlonega, Georgia]], is home to the three-week mountain training phase of the [[United States Army]] [[Ranger School]].

The U.S. Army retroactively awarded members of Merrill's Marauders the U.S. Army [[Ranger Tab]]. {{citation needed|date=June 2018}}

==In popular culture==
Merrill was played by [[Jeff Chandler (actor)|Jeff Chandler]] in the 1962 film ''[[Merrill's Marauders (film)|Merrill's Marauders]]''.

==Awards and decorations==
{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
|colspan="3"|[[File:Combat_Infantry_Badge.svg|200px]]
|-
|{{Ribbon devices|number=|type=oak|ribbon=U.S._Army_Distinguished_Service_Medal_ribbon.svg|width=110}} 
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Legion of Merit ribbon.svg|width=110}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Bronze_Star_Medal_ribbon.svg|width=110}}
|-
|{{Ribbon devices|number=|type=oak|ribbon=Purple_Heart_ribbon.svg|width=110}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=American Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=110}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=American Campaign Medal ribbon.svg|width=110}}
|-
|{{Ribbon devices|number=3|type=service-star|ribbon=Asiatic-Pacific Campaign ribbon.svg|width=110}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=World War II Victory Medal ribbon.svg|width=110}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Order_of_the_Indian_Empire_Ribbon.svg|width=110}}
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
|colspan="3"|[[Combat Infantryman Badge]]
|-
|[[Army Distinguished Service Medal]]
|[[Legion of Merit]]
|[[Bronze Star Medal]]
|-
|[[Purple Heart]]
|[[American Defense Service Medal]]<br>with "[[Campaign clasp|Foreign Service]]" clasp
|[[American Campaign Medal]]
|-
|[[Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal]]<br>with three bronze [[campaign star]]s
|[[World War II Victory Medal]]
|Honorary Companion of the [[Order of the Indian Empire]]<br>(CIE)<ref>{{cite web|title=Communique'|url=http://pib.nic.in/archive/docs/DVD_01/ACC%20NO%20001-BR/RAS-1947-02-07_007.pdf|website=Press Information Bureau of India - Archive|accessdate=July 5, 2017}}</ref>
|-
|}

==Dates of rank==
'''Sources:'''<ref>''U.S. Army Register''. 1946. p. 473</ref><ref>''U.S. Army Register''. 1950. p. 788.</ref>

* Enlisted (rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant): 14 July 1922
* Cadet, USMA: 1 July 1925

{|class="wikitable" style="background:white"
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|[[File:US-O1 insignia.svg|13px]]
|[[Second lieutenant#United States|Second Lieutenant]], [[Regular Army]]: June 13, 1929
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|[[File:US-O2 insignia.svg|13px]]
|[[First lieutenant#United States|First Lieutenant]], Regular Army: November 1, 1934
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|[[File:US-O3 insignia.svg|33px]]
|[[Captain (United States O-3)|Captain]], Regular Army: June 13, 1939
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|[[File:US-O4 insignia.svg|40px]]
|[[Major (United States)|Major]], [[Army of the United States]]: October 10, 1941
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|[[File:US-O5 insignia.svg|40px]]
|[[Lieutenant colonel (United States)|Lieutenant Colonel]], Army of the United States: May 25, 1942
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|[[File:US-O6 insignia.svg|60px]]
|[[Colonel (United States)|Colonel]], Army of the United States: January 8, 1943
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|[[File:US-O7 insignia.svg|33px]]
|[[Brigadier general (United States)|Brigadier General]], Army of the United States: November 8, 1943
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|[[File:US-O8 insignia.svg|66px]]
|[[Major general (United States)|Major General]], Army of the United States: September 5, 1944
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|[[File:US-O7 insignia.svg|33px]]
|Brigadier General, Army of the United States: June 1, 1946
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|[[File:US-O6 insignia.svg|60px]]
|Colonel, Regular Army: June 10, 1948
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|[[File:US-O7 insignia.svg|33px]]
|Brigadier General, Regular Army (Retd.): July 1, 1948
|-
|}

Note: The [[Army of the United States]] (AUS) was an administrative designation for officer commissions which were temporary due to wartime needs.  Officers with these commissions were frequently reduced in rank after the war's conclusion.

==See also==
{{Portal|Biography}}
* [[China Burma India Theater of World War II|China Burma India Theater]]
* [[Charles Newtown Hunter|Charles N. Hunter]]
* [[Merrill's Marauders]]
* [[United States Army Rangers]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category multi |Frank Dow Merrill|Merrill's Marauders}}
* [http://www.spartacus-educational.com/2WWmerrill.htm Frank Merrill]
* [http://ww2db.com/person_bio.php?person_id=148 WW2DB: Frank Merrill]
* {{Internet Archive film clip|id=gov.archives.arc.39048|description=AIR ASSAULT TACTICS ETC. (1945)}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Merrill, Frank}}
[[Category:1903 births]]
[[Category:1955 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Hopkinton, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:United States Military Academy alumni]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Massachusetts]]
[[Category:MIT School of Engineering alumni]]
[[Category:United States Army generals]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Legion of Merit]]
[[Category:United States Army generals of World War II]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army)]]
[[Category:United States Army Rangers]]
[[Category:Colonels of the 75th Ranger Regiment]]
[[Category:Honorary companions of the Order of the Indian Empire]]
[[Category:Military personnel from New Hampshire]]
[[Category:Burials at West Point Cemetery]]