Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
2:32 | He doesn't know how many he killed in the jungles of Burma, but Stanley Sasine will never forget the first one. It was close and fast. He reveals one reason that many veterans from the war would not speak for many years and it is a surprising one.
Keywords : Merrill's Marauders Japanese Thompson submachine gun Stanley Sasine
New Yorker Stanley Sasine was drafted in 1943 and initially qualified for the Air Corps. That was over when they found out he was color blind and he went back to the infantry. He thought he was headed to Europe, but he found out that form he just signed meant he volunteered for Merrill's Marauders.
The air strip in Burma was under fire when Stanley Sasine arrived as part of a group reinforcing Merrill's Marauders. The unit specialized in precise hit and run operations. When they found out he was color blind, he was made 1st Scout. That malady allowed him to spot hidden Japanese in the jungle better than anyone.
There were just 130 men left when Merrill's Marauders prepared for their final assault. Stanley Sasine was crawling in the bush when the man next to him took a shot to the head.
It was the last assault for Merrill's Marauders by that name. During the operation, they officially became Rangers. Years later, Stanley Sasine finally received his Ranger tab and then, the Bronze Star that every Marauder was due.
Just what was in those K-ration packages? Stanley Sasine, who had all his food air dropped to him when he was in the Burmese jungle with Merrill's Marauders, says it would keep you alive, that's about it. The worst problem for them was disease. Everyone had amoebic dysentery, at least.
While recovering from the wound he received during the last assault of Merrill's Marauders, Stanley Sasine was trained to drive a truck on the Lido Road. With sufficient points in hand, though, he was soon back home.
Hit by a Japanese sniper, Stanley Sasine was recovering in a field hospital when his buddies showed up for a visit. They had something to give him, a truly unique souvenir, the rifle that fired the shot.
Stanley Sasine loved to take the Samurai swords from dead Japanese soldiers. He could sell them to the Air Force guys and live like a king when he was on leave in India. He was a scout for Merrill's Marauders and he tells how he ran into Frank Merrill after an operation and was given a field promotion.
When he arrived in Burma to join Merrill's Marauders, Stanley Sasine had to jump from a moving plane, run for cover and dig a foxhole. He did not have to face the daunting challenges of the original Marauders, but the perils were plenty. When the General found out that Sasine was color blind, he was made 1st Scout because he could spot the hidden enemy so well. His first kill came suddenly, though, when he came face to face with a Japanese scout.
He had been speaking to groups of kids and Stanley Sasine tells what happened when he decided to change his approach and ask for questions. He describes life in the Burmese jungle, how they enjoyed water buffalo steaks, the dysentery that affected them all, and the superior attitude shared by Merrill's Marauders.
Stanley Sasine was wounded during the final assault of Merrill's Marauders. He was unimpressed with his Chinese allies who were under the wing of General Joseph Stilwell. According to Sasine, Stilwell favored the Chinese Army and let Merrill's men do the dirty work.
