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U.S. Navy Veteran, Antarctia - Vietnam


digi-shots
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Here's an interesting grouping that I got about a week ago. I was excited when I first saw the beret but the grouping became more interesting as I started researching the veteran. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1948 and retired in 1978. The plaque in the photo is dated May 1979 - January 1981 (I'm not sure what it's for)

 

When I first got the grouping, I googled his name and got a "hit". There was an electronics technican by the same name who was stationed in Antarctica at McMurdo Station and a rock or "nunatak" was named after him.

 

I was fortunate that I also got a copy of his service records a few days later which confirmed some of the questions I had.

Sure enough, his DD214 confirmed that he "wintered-over in Antarctica and served at McMurdo Station in 1967.

 

Here's a wiki-pedia link to "Mericle Rock": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mericle_Rock

 

(".....A nunatak in the middle of Campbell Glacier named by US-ACAN for David L. Mericle, USN, electronics technician at McMurdo Station, 1967".)

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The 7575th Ops Gp plaque is a USAF unit that flew MC-130E Combat Talons in West Germany at the time listed on the plaque. They did secret squirrel stuff along the Eastern Europe country borders.

 

Any reference in his records on being assigned to West Germany or Rhine Main during that time?

 

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The 7575th Ops Gp plaque is a USAF unit that flew MC-130E Combat Talons in West Germany at the time listed on the plaque. They did secret squirrel stuff along the Eastern Europe country borders.

 

Any reference in his records on being assigned to West Germany or Rhine Main during that time?

 

No mention, plus it shows his retirement from the Navy in 1978.

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