Gino J. Merli
Gino Joseph Merli | |
---|---|
Born | Scranton, Pennsylvania | May 13, 1924
Died | June 11, 2002 Peckville, Pennsylvania | (aged 78)
Place of burial | Our Mother of Sorrows Cemetery Carbondale, Pennsylvania |
Allegiance | United States of America |
Service/ | United States Army |
Years of service | 1943 - 1945 |
Rank | Sergeant |
Unit | Company H,[1] 2nd Battalion 18th Infantry Regiment, |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Awards | Medal of Honor Bronze Star Purple Heart |
Gino Joseph Merli (May 13, 1924 – June 11, 2002) was an
Biography
Born in
On the evening of September 4, 1944, near Sars-la-Bruyère in Belgium (now a deelgemeente of Frameries), his company was attacked by a superior German force. Their position was overwhelmed, but PFC Merli stayed with his machine gun covering their retreat. When his position was overrun, he feigned death while German soldiers prodded him with their bayonets, only to rise and confront the enemy when they withdrew. Twice he fooled German soldiers into believing he was no longer a threat, only to attack them again when they left him for dead. In the morning, a counterattack forced the Germans to ask for a truce. The negotiating party found Merli still at his gun.
For these actions, Merli was presented with the Medal of Honor by
In civilian life, Merli took it upon himself to serve fellow veterans. He was an adjudication officer for the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Plains Township, Pennsylvania. He traveled to the Normandy beaches in 1984 in the company of Tom Brokaw and was a source of inspiration for Brokaw's book The Greatest Generation.
Namesakes and honors
The Veterans' Center in Scranton was named for Gino Merli in 2002. Merli-Sarnoski State Park, located in
Medal of Honor citation
The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR to
UNITED STATES ARMY
for service as set forth in the following CITATION:
He was serving as a machine gunner in the vicinity of Sars la Bruyere, 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.
See also
References
- ^ "Home". cmohs.org.
- ^ WWII Army Enlistment Records
- ^ "Medal of Honor recipients". World War II (M - S). United States Army Center of Military History. June 9, 2009. Archived from the original on April 30, 2008. Retrieved June 9, 2010.
External links
- "Gino J. Merli". Claim to Fame: Medal of Honor recipients. Find a Grave. Retrieved June 9, 2010.