![\"Merrill's](\"https:\/\/www.armytimes.com\/resizer\/YVcne6fGU7k9X4JxPFABqr36ocY=\/800x0\/filters:quality(100)\/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com\/mco\/W5RIOPUOT5E4LNSBNNCAUDDD3U.jpg\")
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US Army photo<\/p>\n
Eight surviving members of Merrill\u2019s Marauders will get a Congressional Gold Medal. It took some work and time, and it has paid off.<\/p>\n
The photo is from one of those jungle treks. Note the soldier on the bamboo bridge, leading the horse: the man is so skinny that you wonder how short their rations were and how much they just sweated off. There’s no date on the photo, but it isn’t necessary: it was during that campaign in Burma during World War II.<\/p>\n
https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2020\/09\/24\/8-surviving-members-of-famed-merrills-marauders-to-receive-congressional-gold-medal\/<\/a><\/p>\n From the article:\u00a0 After being run out of the Burmese jungle by the Japanese in May of 1942, Stillwell had, according to one war correspondent, appeared \u201clike the wrath of God and cursing like a fallen angel.\u201d<\/p>\n The general didn\u2019t mince his words either, telling reporters that the joint expedition between a small contingent of American, British, and Chinese troops \u201cgot a hell of a beating. We got run out of Burma and it is humiliating as hell. I think we ought to find out what caused it, go back, and retake it.\u201d<\/p>\n The following year a determined Stillwell took a major step toward getting his wish, as allied leaders, many who sought to rectify the previous campaign\u2019s novice display of jungle fighting, mapped out a plan for a ground unit trained and equipped to engage in \u201clong-range penetration\u201d missions.<\/p>\n In what was to be the forerunner for today\u2019s special forces units, 3,000 American men volunteered for the newly formed 5307th\u00a0Composite Unit (Provisional) \u2014 code name: Galahad.<\/p>\n