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Veteran of Merrill’s Marauders Recalls Of Tough Fighting in Burma CampaignBy Shirley AyresYou can say we are the onlymen in history to outmarch thegreatest mule on earth—the Missouri mule, We watched them fall by the wayside.”“We were something to see— beards to our knees, eyes sunken In our heads, killing every Jap we saw.”M/Sgt. John D. Russell allowed his memory to relive those days in Burma, a year and a half in all, when he, as a member of the famed Merrill’s Marauders, was with the first American infantry troops to fight in Asia,M/Sgt. John D. Russoll.., We did extraordinary things.”“We all got medals because we all did extraordinary things. We had to. We had to do everything the book said we shouldn't because we ware fighting the best Japanese division, the 18th. It was annihilated,1’ be said.Loss than a regiment of fighters, all volunteer infantrymen, Merrill1# Maraudern were responsible for clearing the northern section of Burma and permitted the opening of the Burma road by capturing the last keypolnt in Burma, Myitkyina airstrip, according to Sgt. Russell. That was the hardest fight of all, herecalled.Sgt. Russell’s respect for American-born Japanese Interpreters was interminable. They were right with us all the time,” he said, as fine a group of men as I have ever known.” To the Chinese, Sgt. Russell also gave credit for enthusiastic cooperation in “holding what we captured. He especially remembered the 22nd and 38th as the best Chinese divisions.The men overseas don't want anything except letters, letters and pictures from home. I know how much because we had no mail from December to July,” he said.Gen. Prank Merrill was 'that sort of guy,’ Sgt. Russell said. He was the kind who would write letters to the families of the men. My little girl, Jo Ann, was born last April 24, and we began the attack on Myitkyina airstrip onMay 17- Gen. Merrill wrote her a letter, a full page. A two-star general!”The battle for Myitkyina lasted 70 days, and Sgt, Russell was with troops withdrawn during the battle from the Burma area because cf malnutrition and exhaustion. I can’t say what causedthe malnutrition, but I can give you an idea how severe it was.” Sgt. Russell's normal weight is 172, It was 103 when he was evacuated to a hospital.In the army two years, he was stationed at Camp Adair, Ore,, when he volunteered for marauder duty. “Volunteers came from all over the U. S., and New Caledonia, Guadalcanal, just everywhere,” he said. “It was necessary for someone to ‘entertain’ the Japanese in the north Burma section, so that's what the marauders did.”Sgt. Russell served in the ma- j rlno corps from 1930 to 1933, be-: ing a first sergeant when he was discharged. He was awarded the cross for “extreme bravery battle ot' Oenlnl, Nicaragua, i Central America, and the medal of valor by the Nicaraguan president. For duty in Burma, he has been awarded tho Asiatic-Pacific bar with two campaign stars, representing two sectors fought in, a presidential citation and the combat infantryman badge.A son of Mrs. Doris Russell, Northbend, O., Sgt Russell will report to Fort Bennlng, Ga., for officer candidate training when his furlough is ended. Before coming to Salt Lake City, he spent six days in Miami, Fla., his first days in the U. S. since tho Burma battles. His wife, Ann Russell, and daughter are living at 1133 Windsor at., and two brothers are in the armed forces.
Newspaper Details
Salt Lake Tribune
Salt Lake City, Utah, US
Thu, Mar 15, 1945
Page 11
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 18 Oct 2018
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