80 years later: Lampasas veteran recalls war in Japan

  • Lampasas veteran Merritt Romans didn’t experience the attack at Pearl Harbor but was one of many soldiers to deploy to fight the Japanese in World War II. ALEXANDRIA RANDOLPH | DISPATCH RECORD
    Lampasas veteran Merritt Romans didn’t experience the attack at Pearl Harbor but was one of many soldiers to deploy to fight the Japanese in World War II. ALEXANDRIA RANDOLPH | DISPATCH RECORD

    While Merritt Romans doesn’t recall details about Pearl Harbor, the attack on the U.S. naval base changed the course of his life. Drafted into the U.S. Army at 18, the Lampasas resident was in one of the first units deployed to the South Pacific to fight the Japanese.

    Romans served in the 40 th Infantry Division, a heavy weapons company that was stationed in Pittsburg, California during the escalat…