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Merritt died in combat on Aug. 17, 1944, while leading a company of 60 men against the German Army on the island of Port Cros, which is off the French Rivera. He was awarded the Silver Star for fighting in a battle in Artena, Italy.
Everything was lost until 1992 when McHutchison came across letters his uncle had sent to his mother. McHutchison was given the letters after his mother had passed away.
He then spent the next decade reading about his uncle’s outfit, the First Special Service Force. The force, formed in 1942 and disbanded in late 1944, went behind enemy lines and was often the first to land on enemy shores.
"I started reading about anything that I could find about the war in Italy," McHutchison said.
His research was taking him nowhere, though, until July, 2001 when he watched a History Channel show about the First Special Service Force. The credits of the show listed a veteran from the First Special Service Force who eventually gave him leads.
One lead was the force’s reunion in Halifax, Novia Scotia that he attended in 2001. Although he had contacted more veterans from the First Special Service Force, he still couldn’t get the Silver Star from the National Personnel Record Center in St. Louis where the records of veterans are kept.
"I just gave up in frustration in ever finding anything," McHutchison said. "They had acknowledged he got a silver star but nothing came of it."
So he contacted Simmon’s office and asked for help.
"They jumped right on it," McHutchison said.
McHutchison said he is now happy and will continue to learn more about his uncle’s unit, be-cause he is interested in his family’s role in history. He also wants to teach people about the First Special Service Force.
"I figure one of the things my generation can do is learn about it and let people know about it," McHutchison said.
To contact Josh Mrozinski, call (860) 347-3331, ext. 222 or email jmrozin-ski@middletownpress.com.
