Pat Franken, of Sedalia, wasn’t raised with her father, but always heard he did great things in the service.
Goodson W. Merriott was inducted into the Army on Jan. 13, 1943, at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., at the age of 20. He was sent to air warning ground observer school at Drew Field in Tampa, Fla. He was assigned to Company B, 573rd Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion.
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ (:==:2> {] uC6:6?>FE9[ 2 G6E6C2? @7 E96 dfbC5 $:8?2= p:C (2C?:?8 q2EE2=:@? H9@ =:G6D :? !6??DJ=G2?:2[ D@>6 @7 E96 >6? @7 E96 dfbC5 4C@DD65 E96 pE=2?E:4 :? E96 72== @7 `hcb @? E96 t>AC6DD @7 pFDEC2=:2] ~E96CD[ :?4=F5:?8 |6CC:@EE[ 4C@DD65 @? E96 "F66? |2CJ :? y2?F2CJ `hcc]k^Am
kAm“%96C6 H6C6 >2?J C6@C82?:K2E:@?D 2?5 EC2?D76CD 2>@?8 E96 $:8?2= p:C4C27E (2C?:?8 q2EE2=:@?D :? `hcc[” uC6:6?>FE9 D2:5] “%96 dfbC5 DA6?E E96 A6C:@5 7C@> u63CF2CJ E9C@F89 pF8FDE EC2:?:?8 :? t?8=2?5] (6 4C@DD65 E96 492??6= :? =2E6 pF8FDE 2?5 =2?565 @? &E29 q6249]”k^Am
kAm|6CC:@EE H2D 2 8C@F?5 @3D6CG6C] %96:C ;@3 H2D[ 2=@?8 H:E9 E96 :?72?ECJ EC@@AD[ E@ DA@E AC:@C:EJ 8C@F?5 E2C86ED]k^Am
kAm“x7 E96 =@42= :?72?ECJ @77:46C :? 492C86 E9@F89E 2 7C:6?5=J 2:C4C27E H2D C6BF:C65 E@ 56DEC@J E96 E2C86E[ 96 H@F=5 2D< E96 8C@F?5 @3D6CG6C E@[ 3J C25:@[ 42== E96 49:67 4@?EC@==6C 2E E96 dfbC5 u@CH2C5 s:C64E@C !@DE[ 2 C252C DE2E:@?[ 2?5 2D< E92E 2 7:89E6C 3@>36C 2EE24< E96 E2C86E 2E >2A 4@@C5:?2E6D AC@G:565 3J E96 :?72?ECJ[” D2:5 uC6:6?>FE9]k^Am
kAmvC@F?5 @3D6CG6CD @A6C2E65 :? A2:CD] sFC:?8 E96 q2EE=6 @7 E96 qF=86[ |6CC:@EE 2?5 9:D A2CE?6C H6C6 42AEFC65 3J v6C>2? D@=5:6CD H9@ DA@<6 t?8=:D9] %96J 925 :?7:=EC2E65 E96 2C62 2?5 H6C6 5C6DD65 2D p>6C:42?D]k^Am
kAm“w6 H2D @?6 @7 E9@D6 <:?5 H9@ 5:5?’E E2=< 23@FE :E W9:D D6CG:46X[” D2:5 q:== uC2?<6?[ !2E’D 9FD32?5]k^Am
kAm|6CC:@EE DFCG:G65 E96 H2C 2?5 H2D 5:D492C865 2D 2 DE277 D6C862?E @? ~4E] `e[ `hcd] w6 C646:G65 E96 !FCA=6 w62CE[ E9C66 qC@?K6 $E2CD[ tFC@A62? p7C:42? |:55=6 t2DE6C? r2>A2:8? |652=[ v@@5 r@?5F4E |652=[ p>6C:42? r2>A2:8? |652= 2?5 E96 (@C=5 (2C xx ':4E@CJ |652=]k^Am
kAmw6 C6EFC?65 E@ |:DD@FC: 2?5 H2D 2 >6>36C @7 s:D23=65 p>6C:42? (2C '6E6C2?D[ '6E6C2?D @7 u@C6:8? (2CD !@DE adh` 2?5 E96 !C:D@?6CD @7 (2C r=F3]k^Am
kAm~?6 @7 9:D 8C62E6DE =@G6D H2D A=2J:?8 E96 7:55=6] w6 E2F89E 9:>D6=7 9@H E@ A=2J 2?5 3642>6 2 E9C66\E:>6 DE2E6 492>A:@?] w6 2=D@ H2D 2 >6>36C @7 E96 |:DD@FC: '2==6J q@JD H:E9 y@6 {6?56C[ uC2?< y@9?D@? 2?5 y@9??J }246]k^Am
kAmw6 5:65 :? `hfg 2E E96 286 @7 de]k^Am