A U.S. Army soldier of Merrill's Marders stares at the body of a Japanese soldier he killed during the Battle of Burma, late February to early August 1944, a constant struggle against disease, leeches, insects, harsh terrain, and weather.

    A member of Merrill's Marauders of the U.S. Army look at the bodies of Japanese soldiers they killed in the Battle of Burma. Most of the Merrill Marauders personnel were skilled combatants who had volunteered for battle duty in Burma. Merrill Marauders members of the U.S. Army Combat Team fought with the Japanese as a spearhead battalion and entered the war deep behind Japanese lines. His time in combat in Burma was from late February to early August 1944, and his fight against the Japanese in Burma was a constant struggle against disease, leeches, insects, harsh terrain, and weather.

　At the Quebec Conference in August 1943, a decision was made to launch a long-range U.S. invasion behind Japanese lines in Burma to reopen the roads while destroying and disrupting Japanese supply lines and communications networks. President Roosevelt issued a presidential directive calling for volunteers for the dangerous mission. Approximately 3,000 U.S. soldiers responded to the call for volunteers. The unit's official name was the 5307th Composite Unit, and its code name was later given to the unit by its commander, Brigadier General Frank Merrill, who named it the Merrill Marters.

　Recruitment for the Merrill-Marters unit began on September 1, 1943 and disbanded on August 10, 1944. It was the U.S. Army's 5307th Mixed Force, organized and trained for long-range invasions to the rear in Japanese-controlled Burma. Approximately 2997 U.S. soldiers, commanded by Brigadier General Merrill, were referred to as Merrill's Raiders.

　Merrill's Raiders entered the war on February 24, 1944, in the first operation, with 2,750 men, and after the capture of Wallaubum on March 7, 1944, about 2,500 remained; in the second operation, from March 12 to April 9, 67 were killed and 379 were evacuated because of wounds and disease. The 5307th, reduced to about 2,000 men, was augmented by Chinese and Kachin native soldiers for the operation to take Myitkyina Airfield in the third operation on April 28. At the time of its seizure the unit was reduced by half to about 1,310 men; from May 17 to June 1 most of the troops suffered from sickness and were evacuated by air to hospitals in the rear. After the town of Myitkyina was occupied, about 200 of the original Galahad contingent remained.

　From February to May 1944, during Operation Marters, they worked closely with the 22nd and 38th Chinese Divisions to recapture northern Burma and to open the Ledo (Ledo) Road, which connected the Indian Railway Base to the old Burma Road to China. Kachin native soldiers were the militia that marched and fought through the jungle and over the mountains from the Hukaung Valley in northwestern Burma to Myitkyina on the Irrawaddy River. in five major battles and 30 smaller ones, Merrill Matters units clashed with Japanese 18th Division soldiers as they invaded. By invading in the rear of the main Japanese units, they disrupted supply lines and communications, paving the way for the southward advance of Chinese troops. The culmination of the Mater's campaign was the capture of Myitkyina Airfield, the only all-weather airfield in northern Burma, and the final victory for the 5307th Mixed Division, which was disbanded in August 1944. At the end of the operation, all members of the Marters' unit were evacuated to hospitals, suffering from tropical diseases, fatigue, malnutrition, and all manner of accumulations.