Thomas James Merritt
Era: World War II
Military Branch: Army
Thomas James Merritt
Thomas James Merritt was born in Duluth and attended Shattuck Military Academy at Faribault, Minnesota and was an avid hockey player. He enlisted in the U.S. Army following graduation and was selected for Infantry OCS.
Although he didn't participate in the Normandy invasion, he was assigned to the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment as a replacement platoon leader. Lt T. Merritt, 82/508/ C Company was killed in action on October 11, 1944 near Nijmegen, Holland (the area of responsibility of the 82nd Airborne Division) during Operation Market Garden.
He was temporarily buried on October 13, 1944 at the Molenhoek Cemetery (grave E-3-73), alongside the Nijmegen-Malden-Mook highway. He was later reburied in the Netherlands American Cemetery at Margraten. The cemetery is maintained by the American Battlefield Monuments Commission.
The following information was found in the book "Roll of Honor - 82nd Airborne Division - World War Two", published in 1997 by the Bevrijdingsmuseum 1944, Rijk van Nijmegen, Groesbeek, The Netherlands. The Museum has a web site at www.bevrijdingsmuseum.nl :
"2nd Lt T. Merritt, 82/508/ C Company was killed in action on October 11, 1944 in the Bemmel area, north of the Waal River. He was temporarily buried on October 13, 1944 at the Molenhoek Cemetery (grave E-3-73), alongside the Nijmegen-Malden-Mook highway. He was reburied in the Margraten Cemetery."
As stated above, Thomas J. Merritt was killed on October 11, 1944 near Nijmegen Holland (the area of responsibility of the 82nd Airborne Division), supposedly by friendly fire during Operation Market Garden. His name is recorded on the Veterans War Memorial in Veterans' Memorial Hall located at the St. Louis County Historical Society, Union Depot, in Duluth, Minnesota.
The following information is taken from U.S. military records:
Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Service No. O-535417
82nd Airborne Div / 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment
Entered the Service from: Minnesota
Died: October 11, 1944
Buried at: Plot G Row 3 Grave 10,
Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, Netherlands
Of possible interest to genealogy researchers: It appears that Thomas J. Merritt and Marlon Brando, the famous actor, attended the former Shattuck Military Academy at the same period. Brando was born April 3, 1924 and sent by his parents to Shattuck in 1940. Brando was eventually expelled from Shattuck.
