greyrider
09-09-07, 08:50 AM
FOREWORD
In a nation at war, teamwork by the whole people is necessary for victory. But the issue is decided on the battlefield,
toward which all national effort leads. The country's fate lies in the hands of its soldier citizens; in the clash of battle
is found the final test of plans, training, equipment, and-above all—the fighting spirit of units and individuals.
AMERICAN FORCES IN ACTION SERIES presents detailed accounts of particular combat operations of United States forces.
To the American public, this record of high achievement by men who served their nation well is presented as a preface to the
full military history of World War II. To the soldiers who took part in the operations concerned, these narratives will give
the opportunity to see more clearly the results of orders which they obeyed, and of sacrifices which they and their comrades
made, in performance of missions that find their meaning in the outcome of a larger plan of battle.
s/Dwight D. Eisenhower
DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER
Chief of Staff.
Foreword to merrill's marauders combat action
In the thick of battle, the soldier is busy doing his job. He has the knowledge and confidence that his Job is part of a unified plan
to defeat the enemy, but he does not have time to survey a campaign from a fox hole. If he should be wounded and removed behind the lines,
he may have even less opportunity to learn what place he and his unit had in the larger fight.
AMERICAN FORCES IN ACTION is a series prepared by the War Department especially for the information of wounded men. It will show these
soldiers, who have served their country so well, the part they and their comrades played in achievements which do honor to the record of the United States Army.
s/G. C. Marshall
G. C. MARSHALL
Chief of Staff
these are forwards from a couple of famous guys about a publication called AMERICAN FORCES IN ACTION. its part of a Professional Reading List for military students. i found this site because i was looking for more
information on the american unit: 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), of which my uncle was an original member of, this unit is better known as
Merrill's Marauders. he was one of 3000 handpicked men. about 1000 of these men came from veterans of guadacanal and new guinea, 1000 from the jungles of panama
and porto rico, and 1000 from the states. my uncle came from the states, and he was a member of the 2nd battalion, G company, green combat team.
he never talked about the war, he could'nt! burma never left him. only once did he say something of what happened to him in burma, after a night of drinking, at a family gathering,
everyone want to know what he did, so he told of an action.
one night, the 2nd battalion, surrounded by japanese,without food or water for a few days,the men phisically sick with malaria, and other fevers,
was being infiltrated at night by low crawling japanese army infantry or marines. my uncle observed a japanese soldier
low crawling toward a buddies foxhole next to his. he crawled out of his hole, out toward the enemy soldier, got him, and killed him hand to hand. he didnt say how he killed him
when he told this story, you could see in his face that he was back in burma, he paused, thought, his face grim,everyone was quiet, when he refocused to where he was, he came back from burma,
and only said," well, that jap wont be sneaking up on anyone anymore." there where no more stories, no one wanted to ask anymore, no one wanted to put him threw that again.
he continued to have malaria attacks threwout his life, skin pale, profuse sweating, shaken violently, sometimes LOC and an ambulance ride to the hospital ES.
malaria seems to attack the nervous systwms, as a type of neurogenic like shock.
but, with only this story known to me, i wanted to know more about the combat action of the marauders, so i found this site, and i read the account of the 5307th.
i am not going to describe the action, i will let you read it, dont miss it!
there's other battles of ww2 in this series, anzio, utah, omaha, st. lo, makin, saipan, and others.
my uncles been dead for 13 years now, he died on my birthday, in 1994, his name is now posted at the merrill's marauders website, "pass in review"
i have to supply the webmaster with his date of death. before i wrote to the WM, his death was unknown to them, its been left to me to bring him
back to his old unit, and with reverance and respect, this former soldier will honor another former soldier, and continue to be inspired by him,
continueing to move forward, even when all looks lost.
http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/collections/AFIA.htm
http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/5104/scan0001vr4.th.jpg (http://img516.imageshack.us/my.php?image=scan0001vr4.jpg)
In a nation at war, teamwork by the whole people is necessary for victory. But the issue is decided on the battlefield,
toward which all national effort leads. The country's fate lies in the hands of its soldier citizens; in the clash of battle
is found the final test of plans, training, equipment, and-above all—the fighting spirit of units and individuals.
AMERICAN FORCES IN ACTION SERIES presents detailed accounts of particular combat operations of United States forces.
To the American public, this record of high achievement by men who served their nation well is presented as a preface to the
full military history of World War II. To the soldiers who took part in the operations concerned, these narratives will give
the opportunity to see more clearly the results of orders which they obeyed, and of sacrifices which they and their comrades
made, in performance of missions that find their meaning in the outcome of a larger plan of battle.
s/Dwight D. Eisenhower
DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER
Chief of Staff.
Foreword to merrill's marauders combat action
In the thick of battle, the soldier is busy doing his job. He has the knowledge and confidence that his Job is part of a unified plan
to defeat the enemy, but he does not have time to survey a campaign from a fox hole. If he should be wounded and removed behind the lines,
he may have even less opportunity to learn what place he and his unit had in the larger fight.
AMERICAN FORCES IN ACTION is a series prepared by the War Department especially for the information of wounded men. It will show these
soldiers, who have served their country so well, the part they and their comrades played in achievements which do honor to the record of the United States Army.
s/G. C. Marshall
G. C. MARSHALL
Chief of Staff
these are forwards from a couple of famous guys about a publication called AMERICAN FORCES IN ACTION. its part of a Professional Reading List for military students. i found this site because i was looking for more
information on the american unit: 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), of which my uncle was an original member of, this unit is better known as
Merrill's Marauders. he was one of 3000 handpicked men. about 1000 of these men came from veterans of guadacanal and new guinea, 1000 from the jungles of panama
and porto rico, and 1000 from the states. my uncle came from the states, and he was a member of the 2nd battalion, G company, green combat team.
he never talked about the war, he could'nt! burma never left him. only once did he say something of what happened to him in burma, after a night of drinking, at a family gathering,
everyone want to know what he did, so he told of an action.
one night, the 2nd battalion, surrounded by japanese,without food or water for a few days,the men phisically sick with malaria, and other fevers,
was being infiltrated at night by low crawling japanese army infantry or marines. my uncle observed a japanese soldier
low crawling toward a buddies foxhole next to his. he crawled out of his hole, out toward the enemy soldier, got him, and killed him hand to hand. he didnt say how he killed him
when he told this story, you could see in his face that he was back in burma, he paused, thought, his face grim,everyone was quiet, when he refocused to where he was, he came back from burma,
and only said," well, that jap wont be sneaking up on anyone anymore." there where no more stories, no one wanted to ask anymore, no one wanted to put him threw that again.
he continued to have malaria attacks threwout his life, skin pale, profuse sweating, shaken violently, sometimes LOC and an ambulance ride to the hospital ES.
malaria seems to attack the nervous systwms, as a type of neurogenic like shock.
but, with only this story known to me, i wanted to know more about the combat action of the marauders, so i found this site, and i read the account of the 5307th.
i am not going to describe the action, i will let you read it, dont miss it!
there's other battles of ww2 in this series, anzio, utah, omaha, st. lo, makin, saipan, and others.
my uncles been dead for 13 years now, he died on my birthday, in 1994, his name is now posted at the merrill's marauders website, "pass in review"
i have to supply the webmaster with his date of death. before i wrote to the WM, his death was unknown to them, its been left to me to bring him
back to his old unit, and with reverance and respect, this former soldier will honor another former soldier, and continue to be inspired by him,
continueing to move forward, even when all looks lost.
http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/collections/AFIA.htm
http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/5104/scan0001vr4.th.jpg (http://img516.imageshack.us/my.php?image=scan0001vr4.jpg)