The Illuminating Life of Private Palmer
 

When Merlin Elmer Palmer joined the Marines, he sealed his legacy. He lives on as the namesake of two American Legion Posts today. But who was he? Today, we chart his incredible life story, from his roots in Nebraska, through adventures in Alaska, to his service in World War 1.

 

Timeline of Merlin’s Life

Stamford, Nebraska

 

The Beginning

Merlin Elmer Palmer was born on February 14th, 1893 — Valentine’s Day. He was the ninth child born to Judson and Julia Palmer. The family lived in the city of Stamford, inside Harlan County, along Nebraska’s southern border with Kansas. (photo credit: Beaver Valley Tribune, Feb 24, 1893).

 

Wrangell, Alaska

 

Palmers in Alaska

As Merlin grew up, his elder siblings left the house and started lives of their own. Merlin’s brothers Orville and Herbert moved to Wrangell, Alaska and became part of a logging crew. (photo credit: Alaska Sentinel July 4, 1907)

Merlin Buys the Olympic Restaurant

In 1912, just before he turned 19, Merlin moved in with his brothers in Wrangell, Alaska. The Palmer brothers worked at Wrangell’s local electrical power-plant. A year and a half into his time in Wrangell, Merlin bought the local Olympic Restaurant with his friend, A.R. Hall. The venture would only last six months before Merlin sold his stake and left Wrangell. (photo credit: Wrangell Sentinel July 17, 1913)

 

Highland Park College

 

Merlin Takes First

After a short stint back in Stamford, Merlin enrolled in Highland Park College in Des Moines, Iowa. He surprised everybody when he stood out from pack as a cross-country runner. (photo credit: Des Moines Register Mar 24, 1917)

Electrical Engineering

After about one year of school, Merlin graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering. The yearbook also identified Merlin as the winner of the cross-country race. (photo credit: The Piper, Highland Park College, 1917)

Hired as an Electrician

In the fall of 1917, Merlin fulfilled his dream of becoming a working electrical engineer. He was hired to work at the Alma power-plant, not far from where he was born and grew up. (photo credit: The Riverton Review, Nov 1, 1917)

 

World War 1

 

Merlin’s Registration Card

On April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany. On June 5, 1917, Merlin Palmer registered for the draft. His registration includes his occupation as an Electrical Engineering student at Highland Park College, as well as his physical characteristics. (photo credit: Ancestry.com)

Merlin Joins the Marines

On February 13, 1918—one day before his 25th birthday—Merlin Palmer enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. Up until this point, the Marines were not well known publicly. World War 1 transformed the Marines from a small support group to well-known, battlefield warriors. Posters like this one appeared around the nation appealing to young men to join the war in Europe. (photo credit: Wikipedia)

Paris Island, South Carolina

Merlin Palmer was among many Marine recruits who trained at Paris Island, just off the coast of South Carolina. In this photo, General Cole is seen decorating a Marine in a ceremony in 1918. (photo credit: Wikipedia)

USS Henderson

The transport ship, USS Henderson, took Merlin Palmer and his fellow Marines across the Atlantic Ocean, where they arrived at France’s westernmost port, Brest. (photo credit: Wikipedia)

Allied Battlefield Victories

The summer of 1918 was marked by a series of Marine victories against the German occupiers of France. French and British troops fought alongside the American Expeditionary Forces. Battlefields were often wide, open farmland, such as this photo from from the Champagne region of France in 1917. (photo credit: Wikipedia)

Pill Box, Blanc Mont, France

After months of battles, the Allies encountered their toughest assignment yet: Blanc Mont Ridge. The gentle-sloping hill in the northeast of France had been occupied by the Germans for four years, allowing them to maximize their advantage. This 1918 photo depicts a “pill box,” the nickname for a heavily fortified bunker built by the Germans. (photo credit: USMC Archives)

Comrades in Arms

Merlin Palmer served in the 17th Company of the 5th Regiment of Marines, under the command of Captain Leroy P. Hunt. Merlin and his close friend, Arch G. Lyle, were led by Corporal Frank Duncan. (photo credits: Duncan from Minneapolis Star Tribune, December 28, 1918; Lyle from Therry Schwartz; and Hunt from Wikipedia)

Wrangell’s American Legion Post

In December 1919, Wrangell’s veterans assembled to form Alaska’s American Legion Post No. 6. They voted to name the post after Merlin Elmer Palmer. For a time, the post occupied one of the remaining buildings of Fort Wrangel, the U.S. Army post constructed in 1868. (photo credit: The American Legion Weekly Volume 4, 1922)

American Memorial on Blanc Mont Ridge

In 1923, a monument was erected in France at the site of Blanc Mont Ridge to memorialize those killed in the war. German trenches were left unfilled and are visible in the ground to this day. (photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Modern Day

 

(current photo of Blanc Mont area by Bouzy on Flickr)

Wrangell, Alaska

The Merlin Elmer Palmer Post No. 6 of the American Legion has been a fixture of Wrangell for over a century. Its home is a large gathering space used by the community throughout the year for many events. (photo credit: Wikipedia)

Stamford, Nebraska

Stamford, Nebraska is home to the Merlin Palmer Post No. 233. The organization formed in 1920. It is active in public service and patriotic exercises. You can learn more here. (photo credit: Wikipedia)

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