Print This Page

Corporal William Merritt Zinn

A black and white headshot of a young White man in uniform.
  • Unit: Fleet Marine Force, 2nd Marines, 3rd Battalion, Company K
  • Date of Birth: December 12, 1921
  • Entered the Military: May 19, 1942
  • Date of Death: February 11, 2018
  • Hometown: Elk City, Kansas
  • Place of Death: Abilene, Texas
  • Award(s): Good Conduct Medal, Presidential Unit Citation (Tarawa, Gilbert Islands), Purple Heart, World War II Victory Medal
  • Cemetery: Section A4, row C, site 26. Texas State Veterans Cemetery, Abilene, Texas
Contributed by Cambry Crow, Daniela Cabrera, Camila Martinez, Leonela Marinez, Karsten McCormick, and Mia Rivera
Mentored by Mrs. Heather McCormick, Ms. Judy Garza, Mr. Kelly Moore
Snyder Junior High School, Snyder, Texas
2025/2026

Early Life

Willis Merritt Zinn was born on December 12, 1921, in Elk City, Montgomery County, Kansas. He was the son of John Logan Zinn and Elva Zinn. He was the youngest of five siblings: Clyde, Agnes, Russell, and Alma. He attended Elk City High School and graduated in 1939. After high school, he continued his education at Independence Junior College, earning an Associate Degree. While in college, he played basketball and football and sang in the glee club. 

Before World War II, Zinn lived in rural southeast Kansas during the challenging years of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. His father worked as the superintendent for the city water works. Zinn works part-time at Jensen Machine and Dairy Supply Company. A personal hardship for the Zinn family was the passing of their patriarch, John, in 1942 while he was away serving in the military.

A snippet of the 1925 census.
The 1925 Kansas Census shows the Zinn family living in Elk City, Kansas. According to Kansas census data, 626 people were living in Elk City that year. State of Kansas.
A black and white class picture made up of several headshots of students/
Zinn (second row from the top on the left) and the senior class at Elk City High School, 1939. Elk City, Kansas.
A black and white headshot of a young White man in a suit and tie.
Zinn attended Independence Community College before the beginning of World War II, 1940. Ancestry.

Homefront

Zinn grew up in Elk City, a rural community in Montgomery County, Kansas, about 15 miles northwest of Independence. During World War II, Elk City was not involved in wartime manufacturing, but the area played a significant role in agriculture to support the war effort. In 1943, Kansans planted nearly 269,000 Victory Gardens, and families in the region canned more than 17 million quarts of food, helping to sustain both local communities and troops overseas.

The war caused a shortage of farm labor, as many young men left to serve. To address this, Kansas used Prisoners of War to work on local farms, following the Geneva Convention rules. Farmers collaborated with Kansas State College of Applied Sciences and Agriculture Extension (now Kansas State University) agents to plan and improve food production. The community took pride in its contributions.

Women and minorities in Kansas, despite facing discrimination, found new work opportunities or relocated to other regions for better jobs. Locally, residents supported the war through rationing, buying war bonds, and participating in Red Cross and civil defense activities. Newspapers ran advertisements to encourage conservation and investment in the war effort, and companies like Fleischmann’s yeast promoted recipes for rationed goods.

A newspaper advertisement titled, “Shoulder a Gun or the Cost of One Buy United States War Bonds.”
Advertisement in The Coffeyville Daily Herald about using the free recipes that have been modified to help support war efforts, November 4, 1943.
A newspaper article titled, “Snappy Facts about Rubber.”
B.F. Goodrich supplies facts about how rubber is used on the home front and on the front lines of the war. The Coffeyville Daily Herald, November 4, 1943.
An advertisement reading “Invest your Christmas savings in Uncle Sam’s WAR BONDS. Keep on Backing the Attack.”
An advertisement in The Coffeyville Herald for people to invest their Christmas money into war bonds, November 4, 1943.

Military Experience

Zinn enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on May 19, 1942, in Kansas City, Missouri. After completing basic and tank training at Camp Elliott, California, he was assigned to several units, including Company K, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines. He served as a rifleman, tank crew member, and later as a team leader, supporting amphibious assaults and ground operations in the Pacific.

Zinn participated in the Battle of Tarawa in November 1943, one of the first major U.S. offensives in the central Pacific. The battle was fiercely fought against heavily fortified Japanese positions on a small atoll. Despite high casualties and challenging conditions, the Marines secured the island, a critical base for future operations. During the assault, Zinn was wounded by a gunshot to the face and neck and was hospitalized before returning to duty. For his actions, he received the Purple Heart, and his unit was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation.

He later fought in the Battle of Tinian, part of the campaign to capture the Mariana Islands. Securing Tinian provided the U.S. with a strategic airbase for bombing raids on Japan. The Marines executed a well-coordinated landing and overcame strong resistance, contributing significantly to the Allied advance in the Pacific. Zinn’s duties throughout his service included carrying ammunition, providing security, and leading his team under fire. 

Zinn was promoted to corporal on January 2, 1944, and was honorably discharged on May 18, 1946, at Parris Island, South Carolina. His awards include the Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, and the World War II Victory Medal.

A handwritten card with information about Zinn.
Willis Merritt Zinn’s Enlistment Card for World War II, 1942. National Archives and Records Administration.
A typed letter
The letter that Willis Merritt Zinn’s mother received about his injuries during the Battle of Tarawa, May 15, 1944. Official Military Personnel File, National Archives and Records Administration.

Veteran Experience

After leaving the military on May 18, 1946, Willis Merritt Zinn returned to Kansas and resumed his education, attending the Jacques Tax School. He married Opal Marie Hopkins in 1949, and together they had two children: Roger and Jane. After Opal’s passing, Willis married Dorothy Fitch Patterson in 1996 and welcomed her son, Jon, into the family. 

Willis built a long and successful career with Phillips Petroleum Company, serving as supervisor of data records for 33 years. His work took him and his family to various places, including Salt Lake City, Utah; Kansas City, Missouri; Boston, Massachusetts; Kansas City, Kansas; and Bartlettville, Oklahoma, before eventually settling in Texas.

In his later years, Willis became an active member of the First United Methodist Church of Clyde, Texas. He enjoyed connecting with others in the community, especially through the “Men’s Coffee Club.” Willis was also a life member of Disabled American Veterans (DAV), which speaks to his continued involvement in veteran support and community activities.

A snippet of the 1950 Census.
The 1950 Census shows Zinn and his wife, Opal, living in Salt Lake City, Utah. Zinn works as a clerk at a petroleum company, and Opal is a stenographer. National Archives and Records Administration.

Commemoration

Willis Merritt Zinn passed away on February 11, 2018, in Abilene, Texas. He was interred at the Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Abilene, Texas. His legacy lives on in his family, the local community, and the Disabled American Veterans.

A color image of a gray headstone.
Willis Zinn’s gravestone at the Texas State Veterans Cemetery, March 27, 2026. Courtesy of Heather McCormick.
A student from Snyder Junior High honors Gray at the Texas State Veterans Cemetery, March 26, 2026. Courtesy of Heather McCormick.

Bibliography

Primary Sources

Elk City High School Seniors. Photograph. 1939. ECHS: Classes of the Past Collection, Elk City, Kansas. https://elkcityks.com/schools/classes-of-the-past/. 

“Invest Your Christmas Savings.” The Coffeyville Daily Herald [Coffeyville, Kansas], November 4, 1943. Newspapers.com (365762082).

Kansas. Montgomery County. 1925 Kansas State Census. Digital Images. http://ancestryclassroom.com. 

Kansas. Montgomery County. 1940 U.S. Census. Digital Images. http://ancestryclassroom.com. 

“New Edition.” The Coffeyville Daily Herald [Coffeyville, Kansas], November 04, 1943. Newspapers.com (365762048).

“Rites at Elk City.” The Wichita Eagle [Wichita, Kansas], September 06, 1942. Newspapers.com (719110927).

“Snappy Facts About Rubber.” The Coffeyville Daily Herald [Coffeyville, Kansas], November 4, 1943. Newspapers.com (365762069). 

Utah. Salt Lake County. 1950 U.S. Census. Digital Images. http://ancestryclassroom.com. 

Willis M Zinn. Kansas, U.S., U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012. Digital Images. https://ancestryclassroom.com. 

Willis M Zinn. Kansas, U.S., World War II Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Casualties, 1941-1945 https://ancestryclassroom.com.  

“Willis Merritt Zinn.” The Abilene Reporter News [Abilene, Texas], February 16, 2018. Newspapers.com (761395555). 

Willis Merritt Zinn, Official Military Personnel File, Department of the Navy, National Archives and Records Administration – St. Louis.

Willis Merritt Zinn, Report of Separation, Department of the Navy, National Archives and Records Administration – St. Louis.

Willis Merritt Zinn. World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947. Digital Images. https://ancestryclassroom.com. 

Willis Zinn. Elk City Senior Class, 1939. Digital Images. https://ancestryclassroom.com. 

Secondary Sources

Burns, Ken. “Minorities.” The War. Accessed November 1, 2025. https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/the-war/minorities. 

“Elk City, Kansas.” Legends of Kansas, Legends of America. Last Modified November 2025.  Accessed December 23, 2025. https://legendsofkansas.com/elk-city-kansas/. 

Gorezen, Jacky. “Victory gardens were growing all across Kansas during WWII.” Farm Progress. Last Modified January 8, 2019. Accessed November 1, 2025. https://www.farmprogress.com/farm-life/victory-gardens-were-growing-all-across-kansas-during-wwii. 

O’Brien, Patrick. “Kansas at War: The Home Front 1941-1945.” Kansas History. Volume 17, Issue 1, (1994): 6-25. https://www.kshs.org/publicat/history/1994spring_obrien.pdf. 

Soul of a People: Writing America’s Story. Digital exhibit. Special Collections and University Archives, Wichita State University Libraries. Accessed December 4, 2025. https://specialcollections.wichita.edu/exhibits/soulofapeople.html.

‘Willis Merritt Zinn.” Find a Grave. Accessed November 1, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/187691987/willis-merritt-zinn?_gl=1*18ahq2l*_gcl_au*Nzg3NjIwMDE3LjE3Nzc5OTU0NDY. 

“Willis Merritt Zinn.” Veterans Legacy Memorial, National Cemetery Administration. Accessed May 13, 2026. https://www.vlm.cem.va.gov/WILLISMERRITTZINN/933a72.


This profile was funded by a grant from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The opinions, findings, and conclusions stated herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.