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Merriell Allesandro Shelton (January 21, 1922 – May 3, 1993) was a United States Marine who served in the Pacific theater during World War II. He is depicted in the 1981 memoir With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa by Eugene Sledge which chronicled their combat experiences.
- History and Description
- Personality and Traits
- Trivia
Snafu was born in Louisiana in January 21, 1922. During his early life, he worked as an HVAC technician until serving in the Civilian Conservation Corps, then eventually enlisted in the Marines. He was the youngest child of Joseph Price Shelton and Ann/Anna Shelton (previously Sherwood.) Merriell had four older brothers and one older sister.
".....PFC Merriell Shelton, an excitable, small-statured youngster from south Louisiana who had arrived with the same group of replacements as Burgin and Burke. Shelton was a whiz at poker, but otherwise his primary talents involved getting confused, lost, in trouble, and generally fouled up. He would argue about anything at the slightest opportuni...
Snafu's personality in the series is primarily based on Sledge's descriptions of marines' disturbing trophy making in his memoirs.Snafu was a Cape Gloucester veteran before episode 5, as seen in many scenes.The real Snafu Shelton bears a slight resemblance to Ira Hayes, the Pima flag raiser who fought on Iwo Jima.HBO’s series “The Pacific” caused lots of folks to become interested in the life of Merriell “Snafu” Shelton, the character based on a real Marine of the same name. As I’ve written before, the...
- The Pacific (2010) The HBO miniseries The Pacific is a gripping and visually stunning World War II drama that follows three US Marines – Eugene “Sledgehammer” Sledge, Robert Leckie and John Basilone – with the 1st Marine Division as they navigate the grueling fighting of the Pacific Theater.
- Robert Leckie. Robert Leckie, portrayed by James Badge Dale in The Pacific, enlisted with the US Marine Corps in 1942. Like many from his generation, he felt a strong sense of duty to fight for his country, and he served in the Pacific Theater as a scout and machine gunner in H Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, with whom he participated in several significant battles and campaigns.
- Eugene Sledge. Eugene Sledge is portrayed by Joseph Mazzello in The Pacific. His service in the US Marine Corps during WWII was marked by his participation in some of the most brutal battles in the Pacific Theater with K Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division.
- John Basilone. John Basilone is portrayed by Jon Seda in The Pacific, and the decorated Marine was known for his extraordinary bravery and heroism during the Second World War.
Nov 3, 2023 · It doesn't shy away from showing the ill-treatment of the bodies of Japanese soldiers, including a particularly gut-wrenching scene in which Merriell "Snafu" Shelton idly throws pebbles into the open skull of a dead Japanese gunner.
- Hannah Shaw-Williams
Description. Shown here are Eugene B. Sledge (right) with Merriell A. "Snafu" Shelton (left) and Paul Wright (middle) at a 1st Marine Division reunion in 1983 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. All three men were Marine Corps combat infantrymen in World War II.
Pfc. Merriell “Snafu” Shelton got his nickname from his overly confident attitude, and his scrappy fearlessness during battle.
