trenchbuff Posted February 28, 2010 Share #1 Posted February 28, 2010 I obtained this photo and the accompanying few items mixed in with a larger grouping at the estate of a WW2 AAF Airborne Troop Carrier vet named Duane Collison. They were keepsakes of his brother Sgt. Merle Collison who served with Company C, 517th PIR and later with the 82nd AB Division. I've sent off to St. Louis for more details on his wartime service. What I was able to research locally turned out to be a terribly tragic story. Merle Collison was born in Jamestown, North Dakota and later moved to Great Falls, MT with his family. He served heroically as a paratrooper during WWII, was wounded and awarded the Bronze Star Medal. Like many veterans Merle returned home, went back to school, went to work, married and started a family. In Merle's case he worked as a wholesale shoe salesman traveling the West selling his company's line of shoes to department stores. In January 1958, he was heading back home from a sales trip when he pulled off the side of the road near Douglas, Wyoming to take a short nap. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Mass murderer Charles Starkweather and his 14 year old girlfriend Caril Fugate were running from the law after slaughtering Fugate's family and several other innocent victims in Nebraska, when they came across Merle Collison's parked car. Starkweather shot into Merle's car and demanded he get out. Apparently, Merle didn't move fast enough because Starkweather shot him several times, killing him. Former paratrooper Sgt. Merle Collison, a hardworking family man with a bright future never made it home to his wife and 4-month old son. When Starkweather was captured, he stated the reason he wanted Collison's car was because the one he had stolen earlier from another family he'd murdered was too hot and uncomfortable. I thought I would share this story with the forum in order to pay proper respect to the life of Sgt. Collison. What I find to be the most tragic part of the story is that his life has been pretty much been forgotten and yet the pathetic life of a loser like Charles Starkweather continues to be glorified by Hollywood in movies such as "Natural Born Killers", which was based on his murderous rampage. But that's just the way of it, and so this post is for Merle! May he rest in peace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchbuff Posted February 28, 2010 Author Share #2 Posted February 28, 2010 A few other items of Sgt. Merle Collison including his 48 star burial flag, a photo of Sgt. Collison in Italy and a photo of Co. C, 517th PIR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugme Posted February 28, 2010 Share #3 Posted February 28, 2010 To fight for your country and make it back home only to be senselessly murdered? What a shame. Thanks for giving Merle his moment in the Sun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Costa Posted February 28, 2010 Share #4 Posted February 28, 2010 unbeleivable!! :crying: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobgee Posted February 28, 2010 Share #5 Posted February 28, 2010 Thank you for posting this story and helping keep Sgt Collison's memory alive. Bobgee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurt Barickman Posted March 1, 2010 Share #6 Posted March 1, 2010 Hey Mark, Thanks for posting this American tragedy. Saw a History Channel special about Stark and his girlfriend, that it a real American disaster. Hope so see you in St. Paul next month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchbuff Posted March 1, 2010 Author Share #7 Posted March 1, 2010 Hey Mark, Thanks for posting this American tragedy. Saw a History Channel special about Stark and his girlfriend, that it a real American disaster. Hope so see you in St. Paul next month. Thanks Kurt. Got my tables and look forward to seeing you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croix de Guerre Posted March 1, 2010 Share #8 Posted March 1, 2010 How sad, how senseless. Have you tried to track down his son? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
37thguy Posted March 1, 2010 Share #9 Posted March 1, 2010 :salute: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchbuff Posted March 1, 2010 Author Share #10 Posted March 1, 2010 How sad, how senseless. Have you tried to track down his son? Tom, this story gets even sadder. Merle's wife remarried a local doctor and they had several children together. In the 70s, several of the children, including I believe Merle's son, were killed in a car accident. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
517th Posted March 1, 2010 Share #11 Posted March 1, 2010 Wow, tragic story, thanks for posting..........517th Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KySoldier Posted March 1, 2010 Share #12 Posted March 1, 2010 Wow, tragic story, thanks for posting..........517th Salute to Sgt Collison !! God bless him !!!! A True American Hero !!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyonative Posted January 11, 2011 Share #13 Posted January 11, 2011 Thank you for posting. It happened in my hometown. One of my family members was there when Starkweather was apprehended. I didn't know any of Merles history and read this one due to it being related to Wyoming. Kind of like another Douglas story. Wayne Esmay was a ww1 combat veteran from Douglas served in France and came home. He was building runways in the pacific in 1941 at a little Island named Wake. He was captured there and subsequently was murdered before the war was over as a civilian not as the soldier he had been. Thank you again for posting. Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottplen Posted January 11, 2011 Share #14 Posted January 11, 2011 WOW!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonesy Posted January 11, 2011 Share #15 Posted January 11, 2011 I'm stationed in Great Falls. Let me tell you, I give him a lot of credit for traveling these LONG and desolate roads. There is not much out in this part of the country, and the weather is awful. Truly a tragic tale for this fine young man. Montana lost it's first state trooper in something like over 30 years in a similar fashion not too long ago. He was writing up a ticket and the man walked right up the side of the car and shot him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corpsmancollector Posted January 11, 2011 Share #16 Posted January 11, 2011 What a terribly tragic story, may he rest in peace :salute: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shouston Posted January 11, 2011 Share #17 Posted January 11, 2011 Fantastic story. That's what I love about this hobby. May he rest in peace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robswashashore Posted January 11, 2011 Share #18 Posted January 11, 2011 Thank you for honoring this man's memory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchbuff Posted January 11, 2011 Author Share #19 Posted January 11, 2011 This small group is looking for a good home and is available on my website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1944 Posted January 11, 2011 Share #20 Posted January 11, 2011 What a sad story of a true War Hero Thanks for sharing this grouping with us and also remembering this Paratrooper for his service May he Rest In Peace :salute: and God Bless Him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulR Posted January 24, 2011 Share #21 Posted January 24, 2011 I hope that murder gets his in the afterlife! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlp797 Posted February 2, 2011 Share #22 Posted February 2, 2011 This small group is looking for a good home and is available on my website. how tragic for Merle and then his son!? Did not see this group on your web site. Is it still available and if so how much? My father was with 2nd Bn hq Co 517th! He died of a Staph infection in the Indianapolis VA Hosp 7/1/61 when I was 3 years old! I had no knowledge of my fathers military record until last March when my brother found his WD AGO 53-55 in the State Archives. when I was 17 they told me all of his records had perished in the Fire in St. Louis. So I an 5o years late collecting and memorializing his service. I am posting frantically to earn my 50 posts so I can begin purchasing and posting want ads. The scan of his medals and Airbone Division pqatchs is all that I had to start with when my long lost sister responded "Oh, did not realize that you did not know here's a copy of his medals" ! I hope to collect enough to recreate 2 displays for my brother and I. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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