From the Remembering Alabama
WWII Fallen Facebook Page
Pvt John F Merkerson, Elmore County
Killed January 11, 1944 in San Francisco, CA (21 years old)
John Fletcher Merkerson was born on June 5, 1922, in Elmore County, Alabama. His parents, William Merkerson and Sarah Sewell Merkerson, were married in 1901. The family lived in Wetumpka in the 1930 census where William worked as a farmer. John had an older sister, Ophelia, and an older brother, Willie. Another brother, Nathaniel, had died in 1929.
John registered for the draft on June 30, 1942 at Titus, Alabama. His draft record stated that he was employed by J. R. Hannon and that he stool 5’11 tall and weighed 169 pounds. Six months later, on December 18, 1942, John enlisted in the Army.
As an African American male, he was assigned to the 531st Quartermaster Service Battalion, Company D. Many black soldiers were assigned to support units like the Quartermaster Corps during World War II as the military was still segregated at the time. President Harry Truman would sign an executive order in 1948 to fully integrate the military.
There was little information available about Private Merkerson’s military life after enlistment.
The 531st Quartermaster Service Battalion was sent overseas to the Pacific and had done their training at Ft. Huachuca, Arizona. Ft. Huachuca was the home of the famed Buffalo Soldiers and during World War II was the training camp of the 92nd Infantry Division, the “Buffalo Division,” an all-black infantry division.
John F. Merkerson died in San Francisco, California on January 11, 1944 of a non-battle related cause. It is probable that he was getting ready to go overseas to the Pacific with his battalion. No further details are known. Private Merkerson’s body was returned to his home state of Alabama. No obituary was found, but he was buried at Mount Canaan Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery in Wetumpka. He was 21 years old and had been in the military for two years. Private Merkerson is also memorialized at the Alabama Veterans Memorial Park in Birmingham, Alabama.
Thank you for your service and sacrifice, Private Merkerson. You will not be forgotten.
