World War II Honoree

Merl Powers

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Brooken, Haskell County, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

SERVED IN THE TRANSPORTATION CORPS OVERSEAS IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER, IN THE NORTH AFRICAN AND MEDITERRANEAN THEATERS OF OPERATIONS IN 1943. PARTICIPATED IN THE SICILY AND NAPLES-FOGGIA CAMPAIGNS. REASSIGNED, AND SUBSEQUENTLY SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER, IN THE CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) AREA. HE SHIPPED OUT OF ORAN, ALGERIA IN LATE NOVEMBER, 1943, ABOARD HIS MAJESTY'S TRANSPORT HMT RAJULA; PASSED THROUGH THE SUEZ CANAL ON HIS 19TH BIRTHDAY; LANDED AT BOMBAY, INDIA, AND CONTINUED BY TRAIN TO CALCUTTA, INDIA. THE MISSION OF HIS UNIT WAS TO TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT TO CHINESE TROOPS BY RAIL FOR USE AGAINST JAPANESE FORCES. IN RECOGNITION OF THEIR HEROISM AND COMMITMENT IN ACTION AGAINST AN ARMED ENEMY, HIS UNIT WAS AWARDED A DISTINGUISHED (PRESIDENTIAL) UNIT CITATION FOR OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE IN SUPPLYING CRITICAL EQUIPMENT AND CARGO TO THE CHINESE. HE CONTRACTED A MALARIA-LIKE DISEASE TOWARD THE END OF THE WAR, WHICH REQUIRED A HOSPITAL STAY. AWARDED THE GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. HONORABLY DISCHARGED AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.