Hello all, This is a very long post but please take the time to read it all. Below are the five approved clauses to submit to ALL our governors declaring National WW II Merrills Marauder Day in each of our states. A resident of each state has to submit an application for that state. Almost all the states require that proclamation requests be submitted at least 30 days prior to the date of the proclamation so we need to have these requests made as soon as possible. Below is a little note for you to include above the proclamation ... if there is a space for it ... If not, just submit the five clauses for the proclamation. Keep in mind that the clauses will probably be edited by the governors offices. Jonnie Melillo Clasen, Merrills Marauders Proud Descendant Liaison officer before you send a request. We want to make sure only one request is sent to each governor. Her email is Jmc6154@aol. If you need help or have questions you can message me and I will send you her phone #. I dont want to post it here but she will be happy to talk to you. Later, we will send a press release that our MMPD can use in their towns to publicize the proclamations and National WW II Merrills Marauder Day. This release is also going to the Ranger associations. Here are some helpful notes: 1. Go to the website for the governor of your state: Here is a list Governors Office Addresses and Websites 2. Look for a prompt for proclamations. Proclamations could also be listed under ceremonial documents or some other way. Follow their instructions -- should be rather quick and easy -- and submit the request. 3. If you cant find the prompt, you might just google the governors website - proclamations for your state. And if you cant find it, contact me and Ill help. 4. A copy of the proclamation -- suitable for framing -- will be sent by regular mail to the person in each state who requests the proclamation. WHO WILL SUBMIT PROCLAMATION REQUESTS We need to designate who is going to submit or be responsible for submitting the applications for each state. If you know someone in a state who will do it, you can add that state to your list. Only one person should submit or be responsible for having someone submit a request. STATES WHERE WE NEED PROCLAMATION REQUESTS SENT IN Connecticut Delaware Idaho Kansas Maine Mississippi Missouri Montana Oklahoma Pennsylvana South Carolina South Dakota Utah Vermont Virginia West Virginia Wisconsin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE TO GO ABOVE FIVE PROCLAMATION CLAUSES -- ONLY if theres room, otherwise dont use TO: Governors Office Please find below clauses for a proclamation declaring August 10, 2014, as National WW II Merrills Marauder Day in (put in name of state.) This short-lived, history-making unit was officially designated the 5307th Composite Unit Provisional 70 years ago in 1944 and was disbanded on August 10th of the same year. We are requesting governors of all the United States to issue this proclamation to honor the legendary Merrills Marauders of the forgotten China-Burma-India Theater of Operations (this theater was officially formed in March of 1942.) There are only about 50 remaining original Merrills Marauders who served under General Frank D. Merrill. We appreciate your support. Please contact me with any questions. (your name) Merrills Marauder Proud Descendant (or officer) WORLD WAR II MERRILL’S MARAUDER DAY WHEREAS: In 1943, almost 3,000 men from the jungles of Panama and Trinidad, Guadalcanal, New Guinea, New Georgia and the United States answered President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s call for a secret “dangerous and hazardous” mission, not knowing where they were going or what they would be doing; and WHEREAS: This unnamed provisional unit of U.S. Army volunteers, expected to have more than 85 percent casualties, landed October 31, 1943, in Bombay, India, and was officially designated January 1, 1944, as the 5307th Composite Unit Provisional, code-named Galahad and later nicknamed Merrills Marauders by the press after their commander, Gen. Frank D. Merrill. They were the first American ground troops to fight the Japanese in Asia, and, WHEREAS: With only what they could carry on their backs or pack on mules, Merrill’s Marauders walked farther, almost 1,000 miles, than any other WW II fighting force, trudging behind enemy lines up the foothills of the Himalayas and into the jungles of northern Burma to capture the only all-weather airstrip May 17, 1944, at Myitkyina, crushing Japan’s control on air transport and enabling the Allies to begin flying supplies into Burma so the Ledo and Burma roads could be connected and a crucial pathway opened up into China; and WHEREAS: It has been 70 years since the short-lived Merrill’s Marauder unit of the mostly overlooked China-Burma-India Theater of Operations was disbanded August 10, 1944, after defeating the Japanese 18th Imperial Division, which vastly outnumbered them, in five major battles and 30 minor engagements. Jungle diseases ravaged their numbers so only about 300 of the approximate 1,300 remaining Merrill’s Marauders were still fit for combat when they reached their objective, and later went on to join replacements who continued to fight in Burma as the 475th Infantry, which became part of the Mars Task Force; and WHEREAS: For their accomplishments in the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations, Merrill’s Marauders were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation, and have the extremely rare distinction of every member of the unit receiving the Bronze Star Medal by executive order. There were six Distinguished Service Crosses, four Legions of Merit and 44 Silver Star Medals awarded. Twenty-five Merrill’s Marauders have been inducted into the Army Ranger Hall of Fame. The Merrill’s Marauder legacy continues to be honored today by members of the 75th Ranger Regiment who wear the Marauder patch as their crest; now I, (NAME,) Governor of the State of (NAME,) do hereby proclaim August, 10, 2014, as NATIONAL WW II MERRILL’S MARAUDER DAY in (NAME OF STATE) and encourage my fellow (Georgians, Nevadans, etc - put your state) in this national collective effort to honor and thank these aging WW II China-Burma-India Theater veterans, who now number around 50, for their successes 70 years ago in the jungles of Burma and for their contributions to our nation.
Posted on: Wed, 02 Jul 2014 19:03:19 +0000