William Henry Merritt Jr. was born on August 8, 1914, in Buffalo, Erie County, New York. Captain Merritt served as the commander of the 3rd Company, 1st Regiment Battalion of the First Special Service Force (FSSF) during the assault on Fort L'Estissac near Port-Cros in August 1944. His company was strategically positioned along the ridges surrounding the star-shaped fort and began approaching after nightfall. At 20:30, they launched an attack but were met with intense machine guns and grenade fire from the German defenders. Merritt led his men in a determined assault, using high-explosive rockets to breach the main gate and rushing into the central courtyard. A fierce battle ensued, and with Merritt’s leadership, they ultimately overpowered the German defenders, capturing 23 prisoners. Cpt Merritt was Killed in Action on August 17, 1944, and is now buried in the Rhone American Cemetery and Memorial, Draguignan, Departement du Var, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France.

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