Thomas F. Dyess Jr

Thomas F. Dyess Jr.

Company B 1st Battalion 22nd Infantry

4th Infantry Division

KIA 02/06/1945

Thomas Frank Dyess Jr. was born in Rome, Sunflower County, Mississippi on February 2, 1920.

Prior to entering military service he was employed by Magnolia Textile Corporation
in Magnolia, Mississippi.

He was drafted into the Army on December 29, 1942 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. His home of residence
was listed as Pike County, Mississippi and his civilian occupation was listed as Unskilled Nonprocess
Occupations In Manufacturing. He had completed grammar school and was married.

Dyess was assigned as a Private First Class to Company B 22nd Infantry on June 26, 1944.
He was one of 12 enlisted men assigned to the Company from the 4th Infantry Division replacement pool on that date.

He was promoted to Staff Sergeant on August 10, 1944.

On November 27, 1944 Dyess received his first Purple Heart for wounds received
in action in Germany during the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest.

Staff Sergeant Dyess was killed in action in Germany in the vicinity of Sellerich,
during the 22nd Infantry's second penetration into Germany on February 6, 1945.
For his actions the day he was killed he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross
(Posthumously) to Thomas F. Dyess, Jr. (34612781), Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, for
extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy
while serving with Company B, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, in action
against enemy forces on 6 February 1945. Staff Sergeaant Dyess' intrepid actions,
personal bravery and zealous devotion to duty at the cost of his life, exemplify the
highest traditions of the military forces of the United States and reflect great credit
upon himself, the 4th Infantry Division, and the United States Army.

Headquarters, Seventh U.S. Army General Orders No. 603 (1945)

Don Milne, in his tribute to Thomas F. Dyess on the WW2 Fallen 100 website posted this descriptive
citation for the Distinguished Service Cross to Dyess:

For extraordinary heroism in action, on 6 February 1945, near Sellerich, Germany. Sergeant Dyess' platoon,
closing in upon two hostile pillboxes, was suddenly fired upon by a machine-gun in a previously undisclosed pillbox.
Sergeant Dyess voluntarily crawled to the flank of the third pillbox and, although subjected to close range
machine-gun fire, rushed the position. Firing his rifle, he killed the two machine gunners, hurled three grenades
into the open door of the fortification and followed with a rapid burst of fire which forced the surrender
of one German officer and fourteen men.

Burial:
Magnolia Cemetery
Magnolia
Pike County
Mississippi

Grave marker for Thomas F. Dyess

Photo by Terry Stinson from the Find A Grave website

Top photo of Thomas Dyess from the Enterprise Journal (McComb, Mississippi) June 14, 1949
as posted by Don Milne on the Find A Grave website

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