One of Alabama's last living Merrill's Marauder vets recalls WWII mission: 'There was no turning back'

Over 13 days of intense fighting against Japanese soldiers in Burma's Nhpum Ga area during the World War II operation known as Merrill's Marauders, Alabama native Gabriel Kinney remembered the lack of food and water was not the main worry for American soldiers.

"My biggest concern and the gravest concern of all of us was -- we were surrounded there -- can they keep us with enough ammunition?" the 94-year-old Kinney, who grew up in Cullman County and now lives in Calera, said about the battle.

"We had been sitting there for 13 days and the Japanese had us surrounded. We had no food and no water for five days," he said.

Kinney, who had suffered two hits from shrapnel and a bullet across his helmet during the fighting, recalled the Nhpum Ga battle came to a halt on Easter Sunday morning in 1944 with a victory over Japanese soldiers. It was the latest of several hard-fought battles for the Marauders, named after their commander, Gen. Frank D. Merrill, but it wasn't their last.

"When we were disbanded, there was less than 200 that were still fighting," said Kinney, who is one of Alabama's last surviving member of the group that initially had about 3,000 soldiers.

Casualties of war

Casualties were high, but that was expected for the Merrill's Marauders unit over its dangerous mission that covered an estimated 1,000 miles on foot -- more than any other unit in the war -- over about seven months in 1944.

The soldiers crossed treacherous jungle and mountainous terrain from India into Burma and part of the Himalayas to capture a Japanese airstrip and open a supply line into China. C-47 cargo planes dropped valuable equipment for the soldiers, who did not have any vehicles on the ground.

Recalling his experiences with the historic group brings painful memories for Kinney, who wouldn't discuss it for decades after the war had ended. "I still don't like to talk about it. It still hurts," he said.

During a recent interview with Alabama Media Group, Kinney shared some of his experiences from his time with the Marauders. When asked about how he feels thinking back to that time, he said, "There's not much to think about other than the fact it was just done and really, after we had volunteered and we were put in the situation we were put into, it was do what you had to do in order to stay alive. There was no turning back, no place to go anywhere."

Officially designated the 5307th Composite Unit Provisional and codenamed Galahad, Merrill's Marauders represent an important part of World War II history for the United States. Marking the 70th anniversary of the group's disbanding last year, Gov. Robert Bentley joined others around the country to recognize National World War II Merrill's Marauder Day on Aug. 10 with a proclamation.

"The purpose of our mission was to get supplies to China," Kinney said. "It was definitely a success. We completed everything we went out for."

But the victories carried a substantial cost for the Marauders.

Accepting the mission

Kinney had enlisted in the U.S. Army in November 1942. Out of the 12 children raised by his parents in a mining camp west of Hanceville, nine of them served in the military during World War II.

Kinney had been fighting in the South Pacific Theater when he was approached to volunteer for an undisclosed mission in 1943. "It was just to go on a secret mission in another theater of operation. Projected casualties were 85 percent. The mission was stated to be three to six weeks -- which did not work out at all," he said, letting out a slight chuckle.

When asked why he decided to volunteer for the mission, Kinney paused for a few seconds before answering. "I don't know why we joined. It sounded like they needed some people with some combat experience, and we volunteered," he said.

The mission did not increase his wartime fear. "To be honest with you, I was worried every day -- was I going to make the next day?" he said. "It was just as dangerous one place to another."

Approximately 3,000 soldiers formed for the special mission. Kinney recalled training in India from September 1943 until departing in February 1944 from Ledo, India, along the Burma border. The troops marched along with mules that carried supplies for them.

Kinney said American forces engaged in five major battles and more than 30 minor battles during the entire mission against Japanese forces as they made their way toward the enemy airfield at Myitkyina. Along the way, the mission had taken a toll on the Marauders, who encountered high numbers of deaths, injuries and sickness.

"Jungle diseases had ravaged their numbers so only about 300 of the approximate 1,300 remaining original Marauders were still considered fit for combat when they reached the Myitkyina airfield," the Army said in a statement about last year's anniversary.

Kinney explained the low morale felt by soldiers. "There was a point in time we had gotten where the ones who were not alive were the lucky ones," he said. "It got to that point. I've seen them look down at one that was in very bad shape and say, 'You lucky so-and-so.'"

Returning home

The Marauders disbanded on Aug. 10, 1944, shortly after the victory in Myitkyina that took several weeks and generated heavy losses for both sides.

"On August 10, you will find no records of me. I was shipped back to Ledo, India, to a little hospital there back in the jungle. It was more or less an aid station. There's no record of it -- no record in any way," Kinney said.

Kinney returned to combat during September and most of October, before he was granted a 21-day leave to return home to the United States. Recalling his thoughts about leaving the area, he said, "I was just out of it then. ... Not worth living, actually."

He returned home to see his mother, but the horrors of war haunted him. "I was really mentally not good at all," he said. "I do see now the soldiers who have been in war a while are getting psychiatric help. We did not. ... There was something wrong with us."

After several months of staying at a dozen or so different Army camps, Kinney was given the opportunity to pick where he wanted to go. "There was a pretty little girl here in Birmingham that I thought is where I would want to be stationed," he said, showing a smile.

After the Army

Kinney married Elena Harris on Sept. 8, 1945. Harris grew up about a mile away from him and attended school with him in Hanceville.

He was honorably discharged from the Army in November 1945, after which he worked for U.S. Steel in Birmingham from 1947 until his retirement in 1982. He and his wife had six children.

Nightmares plagued Kinney after the war, but they have decreased over time. "He had nightmares, and he still has them," his wife said. "I didn't know what was causing them. He never talked about anything."

Questions from their children arose over the years about the war and Kinney gradually opened up about his experiences. Lately, he spoke to a graduating class of U.S. Army Rangers in Fort Benning, Ga., in April, where he met with that state's last living member of Merrill's Marauders.

Army Rangers with the 75th Ranger Regiment wear the Marauder patch as their crest. Kinney is listed on the Ranger Monument located at Fort Benning as a member of Merrill's Marauders.

"I congratulated the boys on graduating. And I told them if the Rangers from Merrill's Marauders could see what I was seeing, they would be proud of seeing that crest on their uniforms," Kinney said.

Reporter's note: Story updated at 1:32 p.m. on May 22, 2015, to clarify that Gabriel Kinney is not the last living veteran from Alabama from the Merrill's Marauders campaign.

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