It is important to point out that Chile declared its neutrality during WW2. Therefore, no military collaboration of any kind was agreed upon. Moreover, the main points requested by the Chilean government as part of negotiations to break diplomatic relations with the Axis were military aid from the US and the requisite that Chilean military forces would not be called to fight outside Chile. Under continuous diplomatic pressure from the US, this agreement was done on 20 January 1943, which was basically a mere symbolic act. Chile only entered WWII when president Juan Antonio Rios signed the declaration of war against Japan on 13 April 1945. These facts make it unlikely, if not impossible, that active-duty service members of the Chilean Armed Forces would ever participate in military operations. Regarding Merino’s eventual participation in WW2 as a crewman of the Raleigh, it is also worth noting that the Raleigh was put to sea in South Alaska during 1943, participating in operations also in the border between Russia and Japan, by 1944 with frequent reparations and overhaul in Seattle. When Chile entered the war, the ship returned to the US and switched to patrolling missions in Central Pacific area. According to explanations given by this flagrant contradiction, in Merino’s memoirs is stated that for “security reasons”, his letters were addressed to him and from there to the USS Corritore, where he would have served. The ship is not found in the records United States Navy. Nor is it mentioned in one of the propaganda publications, released in 1974, in which it can be read that he was part of the crew of the ship Latorre in 1943 and Serrano in 1945, omitting such an important episode, recounted in his memoirs 25 years later. Therefore, the participation of Mr Merino in WWII is not based on actual facts.
It is important to point out that Chile declared its neutrality during WW2. Therefore, no military collaboration of any kind was agreed upon. Moreover, the main points requested by the Chilean government as part of negotiations to break diplomatic relations with the Axis were military aid from the US and the requisite that Chilean military forces would not be called to fight outside Chile. Under continuous diplomatic pressure from the US, this agreement was done on 20 January 1943, which was basically a mere symbolic act. Chile only entered WWII when president Juan Antonio Rios signed the declaration of war against Japan on 13 April 1945. These facts make it unlikely, if not impossible, that active-duty service members of the Chilean Armed Forces would ever participate in military operations. Regarding Merino’s eventual participation in WW2 as a crewman of the Raleigh, it is also worth noting that the Raleigh was put to sea in South Alaska during 1943, participating in operations also in the border between Russia and Japan, by 1944 with frequent reparations and overhaul in Seattle. When Chile entered the war, the ship returned to the US and switched to patrolling missions in Central Pacific area. According to explanations given by this flagrant contradiction, in Merino’s memoirs is stated that for “security reasons”, his letters were addressed to him and from there to the USS Corritore, where he would have served. The ship is not found in the records United States Navy. Nor is it mentioned in one of the propaganda publications, released in 1974, in which it can be read that he was part of the crew of the ship Latorre in 1943 and Serrano in 1945, omitting such an important episode, recounted in his memoirs 25 years later. Therefore, the participation of Mr Merino in WWII is not based on actual facts.
It is important to point out that Chile declared its neutrality during WW2. Therefore, no military collaboration of any kind was agreed upon. Moreover, the main points requested by the Chilean government as part of negotiations to break diplomatic relations with the Axis were military aid from the US and the requisite that Chilean military forces would not be called to fight outside Chile. Under continuous diplomatic pressure from the US, this agreement was done on 20 January 1943, which was basically a mere symbolic act. Chile only entered WWII when president Juan Antonio Rios signed the declaration of war against Japan on 13 April 1945. These facts make it unlikely, if not impossible, that active-duty service members of the Chilean Armed Forces would ever participate in military operations. Regarding Merino’s eventual participation in WW2 as a crewman of the Raleigh, it is also worth noting that the Raleigh was put to sea in South Alaska during 1943, participating in operations also in the border between Russia and Japan, by 1944 with frequent reparations and overhaul in Seattle. When Chile entered the war, the ship returned to the US and switched to patrolling missions in Central Pacific area. According to explanations given by this flagrant contradiction, in Merino’s memoirs is stated that for “security reasons”, his letters were addressed to him and from there to the USS Corritore, where he would have served. The ship is not found in the records United States Navy. Nor is it mentioned in one of the propaganda publications, released in 1974, in which it can be read that he was part of the crew of the ship Latorre in 1943 and Serrano in 1945, omitting such an important episode, recounted in his memoirs 25 years later. Therefore, the participation of Mr Merino in WWII is not based on actual facts.
