Dana T. Merrill
{{short description|United States Army general}}
{{Infobox military person
|name = Dana T. Merrill
|image = Dana True Merrill (US Army Brigadier General).jpg
|caption = From 1984's A History of Fort Benjamin Harrison, 1903–1982
|birth_date = {{Birth date|1876|10|15}}
|death_date = {{death date and age|1957|08|03|1876|10|15}}
|birth_place = East Auburn, Maine
|death_place = Fort Thomas, Kentucky
|placeofburial = Mount Auburn Cemetery, Auburn, Maine
|allegiance = {{flag|United States of America|1912}}
|branch = {{army|USA}}
|serviceyears = 1898–1940
|rank = 35px Brigadier General
|commands = 10th Infantry Regiment
Fort Thomas, Kentucky
Sixth Corps Area
Second United States Army (Acting)
12th Infantry Brigade
Fort Sheridan, Illinois
Washington Provisional Brigade
Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana
10th Infantry Brigade
Indiana Civilian Conservation Corps District
Fifth Corps Area
|unit = United States Army Infantry branch
|battles = Spanish–American War
Philippine–American War
World War I
|awards = Army Distinguished Service Medal
Croix de Guerre (Belgium)
Croix de Guerre (France)
Legion of Honor (France)
Officer of the Order of Leopold (Belgium)
|relations = Elmer Drew Merrill (brother)
|laterwork = Civil Defense Coordinator, greater Cincinnati area
}}
Dana T. Merrill (October 15, 1876 – August 3, 1957) was a career officer in the United States Army. A veteran of the Spanish–American War and World War I, Merrill attained the rank of brigadier general, and was most notable as the World War I chief of staff for the 37th Division, and the commander of the 10th Infantry Regiment, three infantry brigades, and two corps areas.
A native of East Auburn, Maine, Merrill graduated from the University of Maine in 1898 and enlisted in a Maine volunteer unit during the Spanish–American War. Later that year, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant, and he served in the Philippines during the Philippine–American War. Merrill continued to work his way up the ranks during the period prior to World War I, and graduated from the Army School of the Line and the Command and General Staff College.
During World War I, Merrill was chief of staff for the 37th Division. He took part in numerous engagements and battles in France, and received several US and foreign decorations. He remained in the Army after the war, and graduated from the Army War College in 1920. He commanded the 10th Infantry Regiment from 1924 to 1927, and in the 1930s, his command assignments included the 10th Infantry Brigade, 12th Infantry Brigade, Washington Provisional Brigade, Sixth Corps Area, and Fifth Corps Area. Merrill retired from the Army upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 64 in 1940.
During World War II, Merrill was the Civil Defense coordinator for the greater Cincinnati area, including southern Ohio and northern Kentucky. He died at his home in Fort Thomas, Kentucky, on August 3, 1957, and was buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Auburn, Maine.
Early life
Dana True Merrill was born in East Auburn, Maine, on October 15, 1876, the son of Daniel Cummings Merrill and Mary Adelaide (Noyes) Merrill.{{sfn|Who Was Who in American History: The Military|page=381}} His siblings included Elmer Drew Merrill, who was his twin.{{sfn|Year Book, American Philosophical Society|page=117}} Merrill was educated in East Auburn, and graduated from the University of Maine with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1898.{{sfn|Who Was Who in American History: The Military|page=381}} In 1901, the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity founded a chapter at the University of Maine, and Merrill was initiated as a charter member.{{sfn|The Sixth General Catalogue of Sigma Alpha Epsilon|page=173}}
Start of career
In May 1898, Merrill enlisted for the Spanish–American War as a member of Company H, 1st Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment.{{sfn|Who Was Who in American History: The Military|page=381}} In September 1898, he received a regular Army commission as a second lieutenant of Infantry,{{sfn|U.S. Army Register (1920)|page=566}} and his initial assignments included command of Company A, 12th Infantry Regiment during combat in the Philippine–American War.{{sfn|U.S. Army Register (1920)|page=566}} In 1908, Merrill graduated from the Army School of the Line,{{sfn|U.S. Army Register (1920)|page=566}} and he was a 1909 graduate of the Command and General Staff College.{{sfn|Who Was Who in American History: The Military|page=381}}
Continued career
File:111-SC-19777 - NARA - 55199295 (cropped) (cropped).jpg (left), commanding the 77th Division, in conversation with the commander of the 37th Division, Major General Charles S. Farnsworth (center) at Baccarat, France, July 24, 1918. Colonel Hennay, the 77th's chief of staff, and Lieutenant Colonel Dana T. Merrill, the 37th's chief of staff, can be seen in the background.]]
Merrill continued his Army career after the war, and served with the 7th, 23rd, 28th, 10th, and 3rd Infantry Regiments.{{sfn|U.S. Army Register (1920)|page=566}} He was promoted to first lieutenant in 1899, captain in 1905, major in May 1917, lieutenant colonel (National Army) in August 1917, and colonel (National Army) in July 1918.{{sfn|U.S. Army Register (1920)|page=566}}
During World War I, Merrill served in France as chief of staff of the 37th Division.{{sfn|"Gen. Dana T. Merrill Dies"|page=64}} In 1920, Merrill reverted to his permanent rank of lieutenant colonel, and he was promoted to colonel later that year.{{sfn|U.S. Army Register (1945)|page=1031}} He graduated from the Army War College in 1920.{{sfn|Who Was Who in American History: The Military|page=381}}
From 1924 to 1927 was commander of the 10th Infantry Regiment and Fort Thomas, Kentucky.{{sfn|U.S. Army Order of Battle, 1919–1941|page=366}}{{sfn|"Gen. Dana T. Merrill Dies"|page=64}}
Later career
In 1933, Merrill was appointed to command the 10th Infantry Brigade, a unit of the 5th Infantry Division at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana.{{sfn|U.S. Army Order of Battle, 1919–1941|page=300}} From 1933 to 1935, he again commanded the 10th Infantry Regiment and Fort Thomas.{{sfn|U.S. Army Order of Battle, 1919–1941|page=366}} In 1935, he was promoted to brigadier general,{{sfn|U.S. Army Register (1945)|page=1031}} and from 1935 to 1937, Merrill was commander of Fort Sheridan, Illinois, and the 12th Infantry Brigade, a unit of the 6th Infantry Division.{{sfn|U.S. Army Order of Battle, 1919–1941|page=301}} From May to September 1936, he was acting commander of the Sixth Corps Area and the Second United States Army.{{sfn|U.S. Army Order of Battle, 1919–1941|page=53}}
From 1937 to 1938, he commanded the Washington Provisional Brigade, a unit based in Washington, D.C.{{sfn|U.S. Army Order of Battle, 1919–1941|page=349}} In 1938, Merrill was named to command of Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana, the 10th Infantry Brigade, and the Indiana Civilian Conservation Corps District,{{sfn|U.S. Army Order of Battle, 1919–1941|page=300}}{{sfn|"Merrill to take Place of Naylor"|page=14}} In 1939, he was assigned to command the Fifth Corps Area at Fort Benjamin Harrison.{{sfn|A History of Fort Benjamin Harrison, 1903–1982|page=169}} Merrill retired from the Army in 1940.{{sfn|U.S. Army Register (1945)|page=1031}}
World War II
During World War II, Merrill was the Civil Defense Coordinator for the greater Cincinnati area.{{sfn|"Gen. Dana T. Merrill Dies"|page=64}}
Awards and decorations
Merrill's awards included the Army Distinguished Service Medal,{{sfn|"Higher Rank in View for Soldier"|page=12}} the Croix de Guerre from Belgium, and the Croix de Guerre and Legion of Honor (Officer) from France.{{sfn|American Legionnaires of France|page=289}} In addition, he was appointed an officer of Belgium's Order of Leopold.{{sfn|American Legionnaires of France|page=289}}
Death and burial
Merrill died in Fort Thomas, Kentucky, on August 3, 1957.{{sfn|"Gen. Dana T. Merrill Dies"|page=64}} He was buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Auburn, Maine.{{sfn|"Faylene Hutton Cemetery Collection"}}
Family
In 1903, Merrill and Edith Ferry (1880–1953) were married in Grand Haven, Michigan.{{sfn|Who Was Who in American History: The Military|page=381}} She was the daughter of Edward Payson Ferry and Clara V. (White) Ferry.{{sfn|Sketches of the Inter-Mountain States|page=111}} Senator Thomas W. Ferry was her uncle and W. Mont Ferry was her brother.{{sfn|Sketches of the Inter-Mountain States|page=111}} William Montague Ferry was her grandfather.{{sfn|Sketches of the Inter-Mountain States|page=111}}
The children of Dana Merrill and Edith Ferry Merrill included sons Harwood F. and Dana Noyes, and daughter Virginia True.{{sfn|Who Was Who in American History: The Military|page=381}}
References
{{reflist}}
Sources
=Books=
- {{cite book |date=1957 |title=Year Book, American Philosophical Society |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eJ5FAAAAYAAJ&q=%22Dana+true+merrill%22 |location=Philadelphia, PA |publisher=American Philosophical Society |ref={{sfnRef|Year Book, American Philosophical Society}}}}
- {{cite book |date=1975 |title=Who Was Who in American History: The Military |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rjQOAQAAMAAJ&q=%22merrill%2C+dana+true%22 |location=Chicago, IL |publisher=Marquis Who's Who, Inc. |ref={{sfnRef|Who Was Who in American History: The Military}}|isbn=9780837932019 }}
- {{cite book |last=Bower |first=Stephen E. |date=1984 |title=A History of Fort Benjamin Harrison, 1903–1982 |url=https://archive.org/stream/historyoffortben00fort#page/n1/mode/2up/ |location=Fort Benjamin Harrison |publisher=Command History Office |ref={{sfnRef|A History of Fort Benjamin Harrison, 1903–1982}}}}
- {{cite book |last=Clay |first=Steven E. |date=2010 |title=U.S. Army Order of Battle, 1919–1941 |volume=1 |url=https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Portals/7/combat-studies-institute/csi-books/OrderofBattle1.pdf |location=Ft. Leavenworth, KS |publisher=Combat Studies Institute Press |ref={{sfnRef|U.S. Army Order of Battle, 1919–1941}}}}
- {{cite book |last=Gore |first=James Howard |date=1919 |title=American Legionnaires of France |url=https://archive.org/stream/americanlegionna00goreiala#page/288/mode/2up/ |location=Washington, DC |publisher=W. F. Roberts Co. |ref={{sfnRef|American Legionnaires of France}}}}
- {{cite book |last1=Nash |first1=Howard P. |last2=Virgin |first2=Edward H. |last3=Levere |first3=William Collin |date=1904 |title=The Sixth General Catalogue of Sigma Alpha Epsilon |url=https://archive.org/details/sixthgeneralcat00levegoog |page=[https://archive.org/details/sixthgeneralcat00levegoog/page/n186 173] |location=Evanston, IL |publisher=Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity |ref={{sfnRef|The Sixth General Catalogue of Sigma Alpha Epsilon}}}}
- {{cite book |last=U.S. Army Adjutant General |date=1920 |title=U.S. Army Register (1920) |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=998cAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA566 |location=Washington, DC |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |ref={{sfnRef|U.S. Army Register (1920)}}}}
- {{cite book |last=U.S. Army Adjutant General |date=1945 |title=U.S. Army Register (1945) |url=https://www.ancestry.com/ |location=Washington, DC |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |url-access=subscription |via=Ancestry.com |ref={{sfnRef|U.S. Army Register (1945)}}}}
- {{cite book |date=1909 |title=Sketches of the Inter-Mountain States |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jdo1AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA111 |location=Salt Lake City, UT |publisher=The Salt Lake Tribune |via=Google Books |ref={{sfnRef|Sketches of the Inter-Mountain States}}}}
=Newspapers=
- {{cite news |date=January 11, 1935 |title=Higher Rank in View for Soldier |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120403591/rank/ |work=The Cincinnati Enquirer |location=Cincinnati, OH |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"Higher Rank in View for Soldier"}}}}
- {{cite news |date=November 1, 1938 |title=Merrill to take Place of Naylor |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120403686/place/ |work=The Indianapolis Star |location=Indianapolis, IN |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"Merrill to take Place of Naylor"}}}}
- {{cite news |date=August 4, 1957 |title=Gen. Dana T. Merrill Dies |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120403764/dies/ |work=The Cincinnati Enquirer |location=Cincinnati, OH |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"Gen. Dana T. Merrill Dies"}}}}
Internet
- {{cite web |url=https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/216139:61899 |title=Faylene Hutton Cemetery Collection, 1780-1990, Entry for Dana True Merrill |website=Ancestry.com |publisher=Ancestry.com LLC |location=Lehi, UT |access-date=March 7, 2023 |url-access=subscription |ref={{sfnRef|"Faylene Hutton Cemetery Collection"}}}}
External links
- {{Find a Grave|117726828}}
- {{cite web |url=https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/17940 |title=Dana T. Merrill, Distinguished Service Medal |date=2018 |website=Military Times Hall of Valor |publisher=Sightline Media Group |location=Vienna, VA |access-date=March 27, 2018}}
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Category:19th-century United States Army personnel
Category:United States Army Infantry Branch personnel
Category:People from Auburn, Maine
Category:University of Maine alumni
Category:United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni
Category:United States Army War College alumni
Category:United States Army generals
Category:American military personnel of the Spanish–American War
Category:United States Army personnel of World War I
Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army)
Category:American recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France)
Category:American recipients of the Croix de guerre (Belgium)
Category:American recipients of the Legion of Honour