European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 27, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Magazine Merrill s marauders to meet again by Jules Loh associated press hey Are old men now Many in their 80s, but they remain As fierce in their loyalty to one another and to an annual tradition As they were when they fought and suffered together and earned the nickname Merrill s marauders. For the 42nd year in a Row the grading marauders will assemble this time in Charlotte n.c., on sept. 2-4, to relight the old Battles and talk about Bull fight Brandy a concoction of their own never approved by the medics and Swap pictures of grandchildren. I m sure there will be a few who will attend for the first time along with those who show up every year says Tom Martini of Charlotte this year s reunion chairman. The difficulty is in getting the word out. With so Many moving to new Homes in retirement it s hard to keep a current mailing list which was never Complete to begin with. After All these years some Guys arrive and say i never knew about it before " but they have never forgotten the marauders. For six months in 1944, twice As Long As the operation had been originally planned the marauders became the stuff of legend. They fought in five major and 30 minor actions against Veteran japanese troops behind enemy lines in Northern Burma. When their final objective was taken their Force of 3,200 numbered fewer than 500 who could be classified As effective fighting men. Yes says marauder Phil Piazza of Seneca s.c., we were All volunteers and yes we have discussed at our reunions Why we volunteered. Why did i i guess i was a Little bit crazy. I was single. I was anxious to see some action. Don t forget world War ii was not like the Vietnam War. We had a Clear purpose. I wanted to be a part of it. I think most of the others would Tell you just about the same thing. It was an experience none of us would want to relive. But it had to be done and we would do it again if  they had All responded to a request for volunteers for a hazardous Mission  they were never told where. And there is evidence supporting Piazza s idea that they were men who actually liked combat. In a Book about the unit written in part from material gathered at a reunion marauder Charlton Ogburn of Beaufort s.c., recalled the 1st in commander suggesting in a Lull Between Battles that if nothing else was going to happen they might Cross the Ridge and Start a fight with 2nd in. Of course he was joking writes Ogburn but All the same. The idea had occurred to  Merrill s marauder s was the name Given by a time Magazine reporter to Honor their commander Brig. Gen. Frank Merrill. Their official designation was 5307th composite unit provisional which led one marauder under fire to wonder what the hell had become of the other 5,306. They had come from army units in the South Pacific puerto Rico Panama and the infantry school at fort Benning a. Their Job was to Cut japanese communications hit the enemy from the flank and rear and open the strategically important Ledo Road. They fought in Jungle never knowing what terror Lay beyond the next Bend in the Trail and made famous  forgettable names As Wala bum Sha Uzup Nhkum a Nkanga Tang and my Itkina. But they never forgot. They lost 93 killed 293 wounded and five times that Many to disease. In the end wrote the medical historian of the China Burma India theater amoebas bacteria Rickettsia and viruses rather than japanese soldiers and guns vanquished the most aggressive Phil Piazza of Seneca s.c., dons his cherished marauders Cap in preparation for the annual reunion. Bravest and toughest outfit that fought in the far East in the second world  in the end Merrill s marauders won a presidential unit citation six distinguished service crosses four legions of Merit 44 Silver stars and a Bronze Star for every Man in the regiment. Their shoulder Patch lives on As the Symbol for the 1 St in of the 75th inf Ranger regt. A few years ago a marauder spotted a decal of the Patch on the window of a car ahead chased the car for Miles along the Pennsylvania Turnpike caught up motioned for the Driver to pull Over and Learned about the reunion. Phil Piazza was the one who started the reunion. He was commander of a heavy weapons company of Blue combat team of 2nd in. We had three battalions each with two combat teams. Naturally nobody in the unit could know All the 3,000 men in the regiment but i knew my company and my battalion. I lived in Bridgeport conn., then and after the War a few of a in the area would get together from time to time and finally i said to them Why not make it an annual affair we were All Back working at new jobs and none of us wednesday july 27, 1988 had any vacation time accumulated so we picked labor Day weekend. We held the first reunion in my Back Yard we worked from a list of who knows where who is and about 75 Guys showed up. Well labor Day weekend became the traditional time to hold it which makes it difficult for some who have other family plans but in recent years we have always had 300 to 400 on hand. That includes wives and children and now  Over the years the reunion has grown from a gathering of warriors to a Fellowship of families some save up All year for the annual blast. We be had some wonderful trips says Jean Martini whose courtship with Tom included frequent letters to him in Burma. We be been to Phoenix Chicago Savannah Charleston St. Louis new York Boston Orlando and i can t remember where All. Last year we went to new  Romance has blossomed. The widow of a marauder married a marauder widower. The son of a marauder married the daughter of another. We Are closer than friends Jean says. We Are family. It s a family  the stars and stripes Page 13