Dewan, Merrill Thomas, 1918-

Biography

Merrill T. Dewan (1918–1963) was born in Turin, New York, and graduated from Syracuse University in 1940. With war raging in Europe and the Pacific, Dewan enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps in November 1940. He was then commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant Navigator with the 18th Reconnaissance Squadron, 22nd Bomb Group, 5th Air Force, and trained at Langley Field in Virginia. Lt. Dewan’s squadron was later redesignated as the 408th Bomb Squadron. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Lt. Dewan’s unit transferred to Muroc, California, before moving to Hickam Field in February 1942.

In May 1942, Lt. Dewan’s bomb group was stationed at Reid River Airfield in Queensland, Australia, where the 22nd Bombardment Group earned the nickname “Red Raiders.” Dewan flew both B-25 and B-26 aircraft, operating B-26 Marauder bombers in combat. From their base in Australia, Lt. Dewan and his unit carried out bombing raids over New Guinea and New Britain. As Allied forces advanced and secured Port Moresby, the 22nd Bombardment Group moved there and continued its missions in the Southwest Pacific. Lt. Dewan also spent part of his wartime service in Fiji. During his military career, Lt. Dewan survived several crash landings and contracted illnesses, including dengue fever and malaria, which eventually ended his combat service.

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