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Greek Entanglement

by Edmund Myers

Undercover in the Jungle

By John Bowen

Message: <blockquote data-quote="McHorsky" data-source="post: 63286" data-attributes="member: 39345">Thank you, Craig: I wrote an essay and here are some pics <img class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" alt="⭐" title="Star    :star:" src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/7.0/png/unicode/64/2b50.png" data-shortname=":star:" />️   Unsung Heroes. (Learning something about my Grandfather and others over 80 years later)In honor and loving memory of my stoic grandfather, Alec Horsky, who served in the US Army during World War II. He enlisted on March 28th, 1941 for the Panama Canal Department, but volunteered for a job beyond anything I was aware of. I am a proud granddaughter of a MERRILL MARAUDER and just learned of this 80 years after his voluntary commitment to this endeavor during WWII in Burma.Decades later, it earned him and his comrades the MERRILL MARAUDER Bronze Star. Then, in 2021, the Congressional Gold Medal. At this point only nine MERRILL MARAUDER’S were still living. To watch the service is just both awe-inspiring and breathtaking. It brought me to tears.My grandfather went and faced the enemy and dangers in the Burmese jungles in 1944, volunteering as a MERRILL MERAUDER! It is known to be one of the toughest Special Forces missions of World War II. I recently learned this about my grandfather when I called the Library of Congress about a drawing of my grandfather by Mimi Kobach Lesser.  Volunteering for the USO, Mimi Korach Lesser was a civilian commercial artist who sketched hundreds of portraits of soldiers recuperating in hospitals in Europe. Most of her portraits are on display at the library of Congress in Washington D.C.Winston Churchill described this as the ”most formidable fighting country imaginable”. Men were not just  wounded or dying from fatal battle injuries, they were dying from ailments caught from being stuck in a swampy and watery jungle. 3000 men volunteered. 200 survived. My grandfather being one of them survivors.I have learned that the MERRILL MARAUDER’S were told that they would be forming a Special Forces Unit, and that the work would be dangerous. My grandfather went anyway.He never spoke of this. He was a humble man; more humble then I realized. I didn’t even know he had been shot and wounded, and earned a Purple Heart. My grandfather was already an extraordinary man to me so when I called and learned of this, I was beyond proud. I couldn’t believe I was never able to tell him to his face how proud I was of him for volunteering for such a treacherous encounter in the name of our country. How impressed I am of him for being so strong and iron-willed. There are so many unsung heroes throughout the military in our history, and my grandfather was one of them. Of course, anyone in the military is a Hero. I do not discount that.My heart grew bigger for my grandfather the day I learned of this. It was because I had so much to say to him, and couldn’t. I believe he volunteered because it was his duty to his country. He was definitely an extraordinary man willing to volunteer for such a fight. All 3000 men.I learned that there are movies and books about the MERRILL MARAUDER’S. It’s just shocking that I knew nothing of this until I called about his picture drawn by Mimi Korach Lesser. (Drawing attached)Since I researched this drawing and found all of this out, I have been invited to send all of my grandfathers World War II memorabilia to the library of Congress to be placed on display. I have no children to pass anything on to, so it is nice to know I found an appropriate resting place for his items. A place where people can bear witness to his commitment to our country. A place where he can finally be honored for his willingness to sacrifice himself for this part war effort. Maybe his beautiful scrapbook and other items will inspire a child to dream of joining the military. He belongs with the men he fought beside. I could see that during the ceremony I just watched with the nine living MERRILL MARAUDER’S.As stated, in an article at *dav.org, “ …marauders, answered, when their nation calls, enduring both the immediate and long lasting hardships of war. It’s only right onto these individuals with a tremendous service and sacrifice.”And, in the **Observer-Reporter “The legacy of the Marauders lives on. The Army’s elite 75th Ranger Regiment descended from Merrill’s Marauders, and the colors used to identify the unit’s six combat teams can be found on every tan beret worn by a Ranger, said J.D. Keirsey, commander of the 75th Ranger Regiment. We Rangers of today salute the Marauders of World War II,” Keirsey said during the virtual ceremony. “Your legacy is impossible to forget. You inspire us, and the memory of your fellow Marauders will not go forgotten.”I want to be sure he is remembered for his service alongside his unit. This is what I can do for my grandfather now.His blood runs through me, and for that I have always been so proud.-In memory of my grandfather, WWII MERRILL MARAUDER, Alec A. Horsky (Dec. 2, 1922 - July 20, 1992) * <a href="https://www.dav.org/learn-more/news/2021/nation-honors-merrills-marauders/" target="_blank">https://www.dav.org/learn-more/news/2021/nation-honors-merrills-marauders/</a>** <a href="https://observer-reporter.com/news/localnews/heroes-of-our-history-congressional-gold-medal-awarded-to-merrills-marauders/article_bd31a938-dd59-11ec-85ea-97dc37ed2e8b.amp.html" target="_blank">https://observer-reporter.com/news/localnews/heroes-of-our-history-congressional-gold-medal-awarded-to-merrills-marauders/article_bd31a938-dd59-11ec-85ea-97dc37ed2e8b.amp.html</a>[URL unfurl="true"]https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10204060776224171&type=3[/URL]~ Annie McDonnell.</blockquote>

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