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Merli, Gino Joseph

Date of birth:
May 13th, 1924 (Scranton/Pennsylvania, United States)
Date of death:
June 11th, 2002
Nationality:
American

Biography

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Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Private 1st Class
Unit:
Company H, 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division "The Big Red One", U.S. Army
Awarded on:
August 4th, 1945
"He was serving as a machine gunner in the vicinity of Sars la Bruyère, Belgium, on the night of 4 - 5 September 1944, when his company was attacked by a superior German force. Its position was overrun and he was surrounded when our troops were driven back by overwhelming numbers and firepower. Disregarding the fury of the enemy fire concentrated on him he maintained his position, covering the withdrawal of our riflemen and breaking the force of the enemy pressure. His assistant machine gunner was killed and the position captured; the other 8 members of the section were forced to surrender. Pfc. Merli slumped down beside the dead assistant gunner and feigned death. No sooner had the enemy group withdrawn then he was up and firing in all directions. Once more his position was taken and the captors found 2 apparently lifeless bodies. Throughout the night Pfc. Merli stayed at his weapon. By daybreak the enemy had suffered heavy losses, and as our troops launched an assault, asked for a truce. Our negotiating party, who accepted the German surrender, found Pfc. Merli still at his gun. On the battlefield lay 52 enemy dead, 19 of whom were directly in front of the gun. Pfc. Merli's gallantry and courage, and the losses and confusion that he caused the enemy, contributed materially to our victory."
Medal of Honor - Army (MoH)
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Unit:
Company H, 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division "The Big Red One", U.S. Army

This award was obtained in the form of an Oak Leave to be attached on the ribbon of the first award.
Purple Heart

Sources

  • - Jordan, Kenneth N., Yesterday’s Heroes – 433 men of World War II awarded the Medal of Honor 1941-1945, Schiffer Publishing Ltd., USA, 1996
    - Baumer, R.W. & Reardon, M.J., American Iliad – The 18th Infantry Regiment in World War II, The Aberjona Press, Bedford, U.S.A., 2004
    - Whitlock, F., The Fighting First – The Untold Story of the Big Red One on D-Day, Westview Press, Boulder, USA, 2004
    - Knickerbocker, H.R., Danger Forward – The Story of the First Division in World War II, The Battery Press, Nashville, USA, 2002

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