Like so many World War II veterans, Raleigh Nayes rarely talked about his service.
Initially, that was likely the result of Nayes and the others in his unit being ordered not to talk about their secret mission in Burma.
But this spring, 78 years after completing their mission, the few surviving members of the famed Merrill’s Marauders finally got the recognition they deserved. For Nayes, the honor came just in time.
Nayes, of Chippewa Falls, received the Congressional Gold Medal on April 20 in a small ceremony at Chippewa Manor, where he had lived for the past six years. He died in his sleep early the next morning at the age of 99.
“We believe it is because he felt his mission here on Earth was finished, and all he wanted was to share his honor and to be with the love his life, Betty,” Nayes’ family wrote in his obituary, referring to his wife, who died last July.
The commendation for “their bravery and outstanding service” came about, after years of pushing by advocates, when Congress last fall approved the Congressional Gold Medal for all the soldiers in the 5307th Composite Unit, the formal name of the Marauders.
“When it finally happened, it was a big moment,” said Jim Nayes, Raleigh’s oldest son. “Dad was pretty stoic, but it was very emotional for the rest of us. We are extremely proud of his service.”
Only three of the roughly 3,000 original Merrill’s Marauders remain alive. Videos of medal presentations for the last five Marauders, including Nayes, will be part of the virtual Congressional Gold Medal ceremony hosted by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that is scheduled Wednesday and will be broadcast on C-Span, according to the U.S. military newspaper Stars and Stripes. An exact time was not yet available as of Thursday, a C-Span spokeswoman said.
The Marauders’ namesake was Brig. Gen. Frank Merrill, who led the Army unit as it fought in Burma, the southeast Asian country now called Myanmar.
The Marauders arose from an August 1943 meeting among President Franklin Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and other Allied leaders in which they decided that an American mission behind Japanese lines in Burma was needed to destroy Japanese supply lines and wreak havoc with enemy forces while an attempt was made to reopen the much-needed Burma Road, according to the Merrill’s Marauders website.
Roosevelt then issued a call for volunteers for “a dangerous and hazardous mission.” The call was answered by about 3,000 American soldiers, who walked more than 1,000 miles over mountains and through jungles to carry out their mission.
After five major and 30 minor engagements, the vastly outnumbered Marauders, forerunners to today’s Army Rangers special forces, accomplished their goal by capturing the Myitkyina airfield in northern Burma on May 17, 1944. Nayes was one of the few Marauders still able to fight by the time the airfield was taken.
“The soldiers were plagued by disease, parasites, exhaustion and malnutrition, winnowing their ranks from the original 3,000 to roughly 200 by the time they seized the airfield,” Stars and Stripes reported.
Indeed, the family wrote in Nayes’ obituary, “We’ve all heard the stories about how he would wake up in the jungle covered in leeches, which was the least of his troubles.”
At one point, Jim Nayes said, his father got sick with dysentery and was laid up for a week.
“Then he went back and fought again,” Jim Nayes said. “It was just hellish conditions. I can’t even imagine.”
The Marauders’ legacy also is receiving new recognition this spring with the release of a PBS documentary titled “They Volunteered for This: Merrill’s Marauders.” The film is narrated by retired NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw, author of the book “The Greatest Generation.”
Three surviving Marauders and many family members attended the film’s premiere in March.
“Merrill’s Marauders had more continuous jungle combat fighting behind enemy lines than any other American infantry unit in the entire Pacific Region in World War II,” Brokaw states in the documentary, which is available on the PBS website. He points out that many people refer to the fighting in Burma, China and India as World War II’s “forgotten theater of war.”
The Marauders have the rare distinction of having every member of the unit awarded the Bronze Star medal.
After shipping back to the U.S. in May 1945, Nayes worked for National Presto Industries, Chippewa Woolen Mill, Johnson Machine, a local paper mill and Northern Center before retiring in 1987. He attended two Marauder reunions after his retirement.
“He never complained about anything,” Jim Nayes said of his father, who understood real hardship after what he endured in the war. “We thought he was going to live forever the way he was going. It’s still hard to comprehend that he’s gone.”
While Jim Nayes wishes he would have asked his dad more questions about his service, he’s not sure it would done much good.
“He just shared a few things. He didn’t want to talk about it,” Jim Nayes said, suggesting that Raleigh Nayes may have enjoyed a sort of group therapy over the years when gathering with his five brothers, who all served in World War II and all were fortunate enough to return home.
While playing cards at a picnic table years ago, Jim Nayes recalled asking one of his uncles which of the brothers saw the most action during the war.
“He tipped his cap toward Dad, and that was the first time I knew,” Jim Nayes said.
Even after his death, Raleigh Nayes was granted one final wish when his grandson, Will, performed “Taps” on his trumpet at Nayes’ funeral, playing the stirring final notes in tribute to a man who made great sacrifices for his country.
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