This Norwich veteran volunteered for a secret WWII mission few were expected to survive

NORWICH — A World War II veteran that went on one of the most dangerous missions of the war was honored with one of the most prestigious U.S. medals Wednesday night.

U.S. Army Tech Sgt. Rocco DeLuca was posthumously given a Congressional Gold Medal for his service as a part of Merrill’s Marauders, a unit that served in China, then-Burma and India during the war, fighting Japanese forces. DeLuca’s daughter Joyce Horey accepted the medal on his behalf during a ceremony at the Easterseals Veterans Rally Point in Norwich Wednesday.

Walking into Veterans Rally Point that night, alongside the artifacts and flags of each state and military branch, were the honors DeLuca got in his lifetime, and a hat Horey had someone make for him, highlighting his service. There was a slideshow of pictures playing, and Horey was eager to tell stories about her father as each photo came up, saying he loved the Yankees and the Buffalo Bills.

Horey said her father never talked about what he did during the war when she was younger. Her father was strict, a man of few words and the kind of guy who knew how to fix everything.

“He was all about family,” she said.

Horey said her father finally moved from New York state, where he lived most of his life, to live with her in Norwich around 10 years ago, after her mother had a stroke. During that time, DeLuca started to open up about his military service, but Horey said her father was never comfortable talking about it.

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“I’d ask him, but it was like pulling teeth,” she said.

Merrill’s Marauders, officially the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), were a group of 3,000 men who volunteered in 1943 for a top secret mission where few of them were expected to survive. The unit fought five major battles and 30 minor engagements with Japanese forces. By the time the unit reached the Myitkyina airfield, only 200 were left. Today, only two are still alive, said retired Brig. Gen. Ron Welch, vice president of Veteran’s Rally Point, during the ceremony.

After years of effort, the Merrill's Marauders Congressional Gold Medal Act was passed in Congress on Nov. 17, 2020, creating a medal in recognition of their service that will be in the Smithsonian museum. When that bill passed, 13 Marauders were still around, Horey said. DeLuca passed away Oct. 11, 2021, aged 99.

Merrill’s Marauders were the inspiration for the unit that Welch served in his military career, the 75^th Ranger Regiment. Welch said his deployments in Panama and Afghanistan was only a taste compared to what the Merrill’s Marauders went through.

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When the medal was presented on DeLuca’s behalf, everyone in the room was paying attention, from veterans young and old, and even DeLuca’s nine-month-old great granddaughters.

Horey said it’s important to recognize her father this way, as the medal is “the highest national honor his unit will ever have.”

It’s also important to remember those who served in wars past, as younger generations might not be fully aware of what they did.

“It’s like if we tell (a younger person) about Vietnam, it’s like you have no clue, you weren’t there,” she said.

Reflecting on her father, Horey said he was quiet man of great faith and great patriotism. When she asked him, he said he had no regrets about serving.

“I said ‘what are you most proud of?’ and he said ‘we won the war,’” Horey said.

This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Merrill's Marauder, Norwich man awarded Congressional Gold Medal