![]() Operating in the country now known as Myanmar, the unit completed a grueling 1,000-mile trek on foot, packing supplies on mules. “They were the original Army Rangers back in the day,” said West’s husband, David. Formally designated as the 5307th Composite Unit, they became better known as Merrill’s Marauders, after their commander, Brig. Krautz was one of nearly 3,000 soldiers who volunteered for the hazardous mission in Japanese-held Burma with a special unit. “He would wake up in the middle of the night screaming from terrible dreams.” “That was really hard on him,” West said. He also contended with post-traumatic stress disorder, including recurring nightmares. “He was so sick.”ĭuring his extended time engaged in jungle warfare in 1944, Krautz suffered from malnutrition, losing his teeth as a result, his daughter said. ![]() “When he came back, he had malaria,” said his daughter, Linda West of Hempfield. ![]() Walter Krautz survived the jungle, but the sacrifices he made during a World War II mission behind enemy lines in Southeast Asia didn’t end once he was back home in Greensburg. (Editor’s Note: This is part of a series about Westmoreland County residents who have been honored as Hometown Heroes.) ![]()
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