William W. Merithew (alternate spelling Meritheu) was born November 7, 1912 in Otego, Otsego County, New York to Windsor Merithew (1864-1930) and Charlotte "Lottie" Woodcock (1876-1922).  According to Myers' Bicentennial History of Otego, William came from a long line of Merithew's dating back to Phillip Merithew (1759-1844), a Quaker and Revolutionary War soldier.  His parents married on February 28, 1906 in Otego, NY and were farmers "up on the Otsdawa".  He spent all of his life there. His mom died of pneumonia in April 1922. His dad passed on August 8, 1930.  The U.S. Census from that year and an earlier 1925 NY State Census recorded him being in school and being a laborer on a farm on 38 Otsdawa Road.  He had a half brother James Fuller (from his mom's first marriage) that lived in nearby Oneonta, NY. The 1931 Oneonta, NY City Directory recorded him as a laborer living "on the island of 4 Railroad " Ave. (This was confirmed by Robert and Teri Bard, interviewed by author, April 5, 2023). For the next few years William appears in the Surrogate Court listings for Otsego County as having a guardian but officially "discharged" him in that same court in 1934.

Pfc Merithew was on duty at Hickam Field on December 7, 1941 when the Empire of Japan attacked. The National Historic Landmarks Program states the following about Hickam Field, “Established in 1935, this was Hawaii's largest and most important army airfield when World War II broke out, and in 1941 the only field in Hawaii large enough for B-17 bomber landings." 

"In the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese bombing here and at other Oahu fields destroyed planes and gave Japanese forces the air superiority to proceed to attack Pearl Harbor warships.” 245 of the 350 airmen in the 11th Bombardment Group were casualties of the attack. 343 of the 433 U. S. aircraft located in Hawaii that day were damaged or destroyed. Army records indicate Merithew acted heroically that day and received the Silver Star for his actions. His citation reads:

The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Silver Star Medal (Posthumously) to William W. Merithew, Private First Class, U.S. Army Air Force, for gallantry in action while serving with Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, 11th Bombardment Group (Heavy), during the Japanese aerial attack on Hickam Field, Territory of Hawaii, on 7 December 1941. Private First Class Merithew, conspicuous for his bravery, assisted in the repair of airplanes during a severe attack of bombing and strafing centered on the hangars. Private First Class Merithew was killed in this attack.

Authority: "Heroes of Pearl Harbor", Donald K. & Helen L. Ross

Pfc Merithew was initially buried in the Post Cemetery, Schofield Barracks, Plot No. 3, Row N, Grave No. 40 on December 9, 1941. Later, at the wishes of his half brother, James Fuller, he was permanently interred in National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu. He received the Purple Heart posthumously. His son received his Silver Star in a ceremony at the Armory in his hometown of Oneonta, NY later the next summer. The Chamber of Commerce in Oneonta, NY also awarded the son a $100 War Bond in memory of his father in July 1944. The 110 acre farm outside Oneonta, NY that he grew up on sold in 1943.

If you notice anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute to it, please contact Jim Greenberg at nez13820@gmail.com. 

Sources

Ancestry.com. U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

"Death of Mrs. Windsor Merithew", Oneonta Daily Star, Oneonta, NY, April 13, 1922, pg 3.

Donald K. & Helen L. Ross, THE HEROES OF PEARL HARBOR (Port Orchard, WA: ROKALU PRESS, 1988), p. 93.

Find a Grave, "PFC William W. Merithew", https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56125513/william-w-merithew, January 29, 2023.

Interment Control Forms, 1928–1962. Interment Control Forms, A1 2110-B. NAID: 5833879. Record Group 92, Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, 1774–1985. The National Archives at St. Louis, St. Louis, MO.

Interview of Robert and Teri Bard, relatives of William Merithew, April 2023, Oneonta, NY. 

Merithew letter to Mr. and Mrs. Stewart Andrews, November 14, 1941, Hickam Field, Hawaii provided by Otego Historical Society, 6 River St., Otego, NY.  Transcribed by author, April 6, 2023. 

Merithew-Taylor, Rural Times, Otego, NY, March 30, 1934, pg 1.

Myers, Helena Northup,  A Bicentennial History of Otego, Town Board, Town of Otego, New York, 1976. 

New York State Department of Health; Albany, NY, USA; New York State Marriage Index

"Oneonta Man First of War Dead in Tier". Press and Sun-Bulletin (Binghamton, NY). December 11, 1941. p.12.

"Paradise Lost: The Legacy of the 11th Bomb Group". Joint Base Andrews. Retrieved October 1, 2021.

Surrogate's Court listings, The Otsego Farmer, Cooperstown, NY, November 16, 1934, pg. 6.

"William W. Merithew". Honor States. Retrieved Sep 25, 2021.

Year: 1920; Census Place: Otego, Otsego, New York; Roll: T625_1256; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 219

Year: 1930; Census Place: Otsego, Otsego, New York; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 0040; FHL microfilm: 2341371

Year: 1940; Census Place: Ewa, Honolulu, Hawaii; Roll: m-t0627-04589; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 2-201

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