GERALD F. (JERRY) MERNA

FIRST LIEUTENANT, U.S. MARINE CORPS (RET.)

Marine Officer, Postal Service Officer, Association Executive 

 

Jerry Merna was born in New York City, and at a very early age, together with his six brothers and one sister was raised by Dominican Nuns in two different Catholic Homes, St. Dominic’s Convent in Blauvelt, NY and St. Agnes Home in Sparkill, NY.  He dropped out of high school after his second year to enlist in the United States Marine Corps on his 17^th birthday in April 1947. 

Following boot camp training at Parris Island, S.C. he served in all enlisted grades from Private (E-1) to Master Gunnery Sergeant (E-9).  In 1966 with 18 years of enlisted service he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant under the Marine Corps’ Outstanding Leadership Program, and only one year later, while serving in Vietnam, was promoted to First Lieutenant.  (Marine officers who come up from the ranks are referred to as “Mustangs.”) 

During his 22 years as a Marine Jerry Merna served in a variety of administrative, legal and infantry  positions and is a graduate of numerous military schools, including  Advanced Combat Training, Instructor Orientation School, and Naval Justice Courses in San Diego, CA.,  and Newport, RI. 

During 13 months of combat service in Korea (1952 - 1953) he was an anti-tank assault (ATA) infantry unit leader with Weapons Company,  1^st Battalion 5^th Marines, and later was a platoon sergeant with Easy Company, 2^nd Battalion, 5^th Marines on Outpost  “Vegas,“  one of the bloodiest engagements in Western Korea. 

14 years after serving in Korea, in 1966 Jerry served as a 36-year old Second Lt. for 13 months in Vietnam with the 3^rd Marine Division.  Upon his return to the U.S.  he served as the Adjutant and Casualty Notification Officer for Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia while stationed at the Marine Air Reserve Training Detachment, Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, until his retirement in 1968.  

Jerry’s numerous military decorations and awards include two Navy Commendation Medals with Combat “V,” the Combat Action Ribbon, the Presidential Unit Citation, the Navy Unit Citation, the Korean Service Medal with 3 bronze stars, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation, the Vietnam Service Medal with 2 bronze stars, an individual award of the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Bronze Star and unit award of the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm. He also has seven awards of the Rifle Expert and Pistol Sharpshooter badges. 

After retiring from the Marine Corps Jerry served for the next 18 years as a Senior Executive Service official with the United States Postal Service.  He was appointed Executive Assistant to the Postmaster General at Postal Service Headquarters in Washington, D.C., one of only 34 Officers of the 850,000 member U. S.  Postal Service.  Following an assignment as the Acting Postmaster of Lynchburg, VA, Jerry was appointed Postmaster for the entire Northern Virginia region, one of the fastest growing areas in the United States.  For six years he directed postal operations at one of  the largest and most complex Postal Service field units that served two million customers with over 5,000 employees, 1,200 vehicles, and 155 post offices stretching from Arlington and Alexandria to Front Royal and Winchester.  This field office was also used as a model for demonstrating postal procedures and mail processing systems for industry,   congressional and international visitors. 

After retiring from the Postal Service in 1987 for the next six years Jerry implemented worldwide advertising, public relations and marketing activities as Director of Advertising for SIGNAL Magazine, the official journal of  the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA) in Fairfax, VA.

He then was appointed a Vice President and Associate Publisher of National DEFENSE magazine, journal of the Arlington-based National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA), a major defense industry association with 28,000 individual members, and some 900 companies dealing with national security.  

While in the Marine Corps Jerry successfully completed all academic requirements for and graduated from the school he dropped out of, Tappan Zee High School, Piermont, New York.  Not satisfied with that, after years of night school, he went on to obtain degrees of Bachelor of Science in Administration and Master of Science in Personnel Management, at ages 43 and 47 respectively, from The George Washington University, Washington, DC.  He also completed Advanced Management Programs at the University of Southern California and the University of Virginia.  He served on the Boards of Directors for the National League of Postmasters of the United States, the Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association (AFCEA), and The George Washington University General Alumni Association. 

Jerry has been married to the former Dorothy M. Sedlack, his classmate at TZ High School of Piermont, New York, for over 53 years.  The Merna’s have two children:  Linda M. Figura of Alexandria, and Gerald T. Merna, of Sterling, VA., and two grandchildren.  Dot and Jerry reside in The Cascades, Potomac Falls, VA., where Jerry formerly served as Chairman of his homeowner’s Covenants Committee.