JG Charles W. Merriam

Charles Merriam lived at 1060 Parkwood Blvd, Schenectady until moving to Virginia where he attended Hampton-Sydney College eventually obtaining his Bachelor of Science. Following the outbreak of war, the college entered the V-12 Officers Training Program. He entered this program July 1, 1943 following his joining the Navy.

He attended pre-midshipmen’s school at Asbury Park, NJ and then finished his Midshipmen’s schooling at Northwestern University in Chicago. He was shipped out to Pearl Harbor at the age of 21 and assigned to an LCT as an Executive Officer which was topside of an LST. He served for many months traveling to many islands in the south Pacific formerly held by the Japanese including the Philippines, Guam, Okinawa, and ending the war in Saipan preparing for the invasion which was planned for November 1946. The atomic bombs ended the war saving his life and the lives of millions of service men and women and those of countless Japanese.

He spent the rest of his Naval career as a skipper of an LCT during the occupation in Tokyo Bay. After the war he returned to finish his college degree and then returned to Schenectady to join his father in the insurance business as the third generation in insurance agency. During his business career he was active in numerous philanthropic endeavors including the YMCA, Schenectady City Mission, Visiting Nurse Service Association of Schenectady and various churches. He currently resides with his wife Patricia in Burnt Hills NY where he is active in multiple political and civic affairs. He is the father of three children, Sondra Russ and Peter Merriam of Atlanta, GA and Brian Merriam of Schenectady, NY.