Merrill's Marauders

American  

plural noun

1. the U.S. soldiers under the command of Brigadier General Frank Merrill during World War II, noted especially for their skill at jungle fighting in the China-Burma-India theater.

---

Etymology

Origin of Merrill's Marauders

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

On Dec. 29, Russell Hamler, the last survivor of Merrill’s Marauders, died at a veterans’ hospital in Pittsburgh.

From New York Times

When the airfield was finally taken three months later, only 130 able-bodied soldiers remained of the 2,600 who had crossed into Burma in 1944 with Merrill’s Marauders, a fabled unit that was one of the forerunners of the Army’s Special Operations elite, the 75th Ranger Regiment.

From New York Times

Originally sent to Puerto Rico, he volunteered, like all of the men in Merrill’s Marauders, for a secretive mission with anticipated casualties of up to 85 percent.

From New York Times

A 1962 movie, “Merrill’s Marauders,” directed by Samuel Fuller, made General Merrill the hero, but it appalled many veterans of the unit, including some who considered Colonel Hunter their true leader, according to Mr. Mortimer’s book.

From New York Times

In 2022, Merrill’s Marauders were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, after a lobbying drive by the handful of surviving veterans and family members.

From New York Times