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Benjamin Alvin Merrifield

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Benjamin Alvin Merrifield

Birth	:	14 Nov 1921 Butte County, California, USA
Death	:	16 May 1986 Lewis and Clark County, Montana, USA
Burial	:	Glen Oaks Memorial Park, Chico, Butte County, USA
Coordinate	:	39.7076721, -121.8084641
Description	:	DURHAM'S WORLD WAR II HONOR ROLL - A History of Service compiled by Adriana Farley March 2005 for Durham Friends of the Library, page 137. Benjamin Alvin Merrifield -- US Army, 1942-1945. (As reported by his son, John Merrifield) "The story of Alvin Merrifield (he never liked the name Benjamin, although the Army often called him Ben) is the story of a generation ... the generation that Tom Brokaw called 'The Greatest Generation in his book by the same name. "It is the story of a local boy who became a hero when his country needed heroes, and came back to be a local... Read More	DURHAM'S WORLD WAR II HONOR ROLL - A History of Service compiled by Adriana Farley March 2005 for Durham Friends of the Library, page 137. Benjamin Alvin Merrifield -- US Army, 1942-1945. (As reported by his son, John Merrifield) "The story of Alvin Merrifield (he never liked the name Benjamin, although the Army often called him Ben) is the story of a generation ... the generation that Tom Brokaw called 'The Greatest Generation in his book by the same name. "It is the story of a local boy who became a hero when his country needed heroes, and came back to be a local boy when his duty was done. Al Merrifield, son of the first settlers in the Durham Land Colony, tennis star in the Durham High School Class of 1939, and owner of the Champion Poland China Sow at the California State Fair, accepted his patriotic duty after Pearl Harbor and enlisted in the Army on November 18, 1942. "He was sent to Camp White, Oregon for training. What was then called 'Intelligence Testing' found him to be of training potential; so he was sent to the University at Eugene Oregon for engineering training. "After D-Day, when the U.S. war effort was stepped up dramatically, all bets were off and, then Sergeant Merrifield was re-assigned to Camp Cook, CA for infantry training and deployment to the European Theatre; he shipped out September 29, 1944, and was assigned to the 11th Armored Division of the Third Army under General George Patton...the greatest army in the history of the world! "The 11th Armored Division was the unit that broke through the German lines at Bastogne in the famous Battle of the Bulge, freeing the surrounded 101st Airborne and effectively breaking the back of the German army. More than half of Al's unit was lost in that battle; asked to describe it, General Patton simply said, 'They were magnificent!' "Sergeant Merrifield was decorated for heroism and received the Combat Infantry Badge, one of his most prized awards. The Combat Infantry Badge, known to infantrymen everywhere as the C.I.B., is awarded only to infantrymen who come under hostile enemy small arms fire in a combat zone...literally, it means you are rifle to rifle with the enemy...your skills - vs- his; it is a mix of bravery and stark terror, and at the same time the ultimate human competition. "Following the Battle of the Bulge, which was the beginning of the end of the war in Europe, Al's unit continued through Germany and was in Austria when the war ended. Shipped back to the U.S., Al was discharged October 25, 1945. "After the war, Al Merrifield was the owner of a successful dairy farm in Durham; and later went to work at the old Diamond Match Company, retiring in 1984 as the Western Division Comptroller of Diamond International Corporation. "He was married to his one true love, Una Garner, of the Chico Garners, for 46 years when he passed away in 1986; they raised three children, including two sons who served in the Viet Nam war, and grandsons in whom they took great pride."

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Benjamin Alvin Merrifield's memorial?
Benjamin Alvin Merrifield's memorial is located at: Glen Oaks Memorial Park, Chico, Butte County, USA.
When did Benjamin Alvin Merrifield death?
Benjamin Alvin Merrifield death on 16 May 1986 in Lewis and Clark County, Montana, USA
Where are the coordinates of the Benjamin Alvin Merrifield's memorial?
Latitude: 39.7076721
Longitude: -121.8084641

Family Members:

Parent

Benjamin Arthur “Ben” Merrifield

(1889 - 1959)

Elizabeth Murphy Merrifield

(1892 - 1992)

Spouse

Una Estelle Garner Merrifield

(1921 - 2009)

Siblings

Irvin Edward Merrifield

(1926 - 2010)

Children

Catherine Flynn Merrifield Dally

(1943 - 2011)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Glen Oaks Memorial Park
Chico, Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.7076721, -121.8084641

2. Chico Memorial Mausoleum and Crematory
Chico, Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.7346010, -121.8374560

3. Chico Cemetery
Chico, Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.7391470, -121.8367800

4. Durham Cemetery
Durham, Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.6758003, -121.7688980

5. Mechoopda Indian Cemetery
Chico, Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.7328930, -121.8558910

6. Dayton Cemetery
Dayton, Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.6520004, -121.8679962

7. Bragg Cemetery
Nord, Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.7750980, -121.9568170

8. Martin Family Cemetery
Artois, Glenn County, USA
Coordinate: 39.6087220, -121.9547550

9. Monroeville Cemetery
Butte City, Glenn County, USA
Coordinate: 39.6747760, -122.0002560

10. Nelson Cemetery
Nelson, Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.5571410, -121.7694570

11. Centerville Cemetery
Centerville, Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.7994003, -121.6461029

12. Clear Creek Cemetery
Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.6632996, -121.6138992

13. Nicholl Cemetery
Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.8119000, -121.6557500

14. Paradise Cemetery
Paradise, Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.7589989, -121.6119995

15. Nimshew Cemetery
Magalia, Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.8460007, -121.6200027

16. Skyway Memorial Park
Magalia, Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.8059998, -121.5790024

17. Magalia Cemetery
Magalia, Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.8088570, -121.5800629

18. Pine Creek Cemetery
Chico, Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.8617240, -121.9842480

19. Smith-Lunt Family Cemetery
Yankee Hill, Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.7126420, -121.5404070

20. Mound Cemetery
Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.5026460, -121.8605080

21. Cohasset Cemetery
Cohasset, Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.9124880, -121.7333220

22. Clark Family Cemetery
Yankee Hill, Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.6969620, -121.5253210

23. Tebbe Family Cemetery
Deadwood, Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.7428450, -121.5256960

24. Cherokee Cemetery
Oroville, Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.6410179, -121.5316391