Merlyn P. Zubrod

Korean War

Merlyn Zubrod was born on April 17, 1929, near Templeton to Louis and Louise (Bellinghausen) Zubrod. The family moved to farms near Halbur and Manning before returning to Templeton. Merlyn attended Sacred Heart School in Templeton. He was working as a carpenter for Lawrence Ocken Construction when the Korean War started on June 25, 1950. On February 5, 1951, Merlyn was married to Marilyn Wanninger at St. Patrick Church in Audubon, IA.

Merlyn was inducted into the US Army on June 3, 1951, and assigned serial number 55 172 491. He was sent to Camp Chaffee, AR for basic training. At that time, Camp Chaffee was home to the US Army Artillery Training Center as well as home to the 5th Armored Division. Merlyn was assigned to Company A for training. After basic training was complete, he remained at Camp Chaffee for advanced artillery training and was assigned to a field artillery battery in the 5th Armored Division.

By February, 1952, Merlyn and his unit had been sent to Ladd Air Force Base near Fairbanks, AK. Alaska was not yet a state at this time but the Base was a hub for air activity to and from Japan and Korea. Merlyn’s unit was charged with providing security for the Air Force Base. Merlyn’s mission included operating an M7 Priest which was a self-propelled artillery vehicle with an M4 “Sherman” tank chassis mounted with a 105mm howitzer.

On February 21, 1952, Marilyn was able to move to Fairbanks to join her husband. By November, 1952, Merlyn had been promoted to Corporal and the couple had welcomed their son Randy. Merlyn was discharged in May, 1953, and the family returned to Templeton.

Merlyn returned to his job as a carpenter until moving back to the family farm southwest of Templeton. Marilyn passed away in 1964. On August 26, 1969, Merlyn married Pat Murphy in Des Moines. Shortly thereafter, the family moved to a farm west of Templeton where Merlyn farmed but also expanded his woodworking skills.

Merlyn died on January 14, 2021, in Manning, IA at age 91. He was buried in Sacred Heart Cemetery in Templeton.