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#OTD in 1944, our nation lost a hero and a family lost a father. But I guarantee you don’t know his story. And yet, his name has echoed around the world. From the sunny fields of New Hampshire to the frigid cold waters of Anzio Bay and back again. A #WWII veterans thread. 
This story starts with a family that settled down on a farm in Peterborough, NH in 1923. Leonard Abbott “Spike” Merrill, Jr. attended the local public schools and worked with his father after hours. He was an enterprising young man that once you met him, you never forgot him.
Spike registered for @YMCA @camptakodah in 1929 and was among the first to use the new, expanded crib, dock, and diving tower which became a staple of the Waterfront. He is likely pictured in this photo. Camp was 13 years old. Spike, however, was only 12.
