Frank B. Reid
Commanding Officer
Company C 1st Battalion 22nd Infantry
4th Infantry Division
DOW 09/14/1944
Frank Burrus Reid was born in Hickman, Fulton County, Kentucky on June 25, 1919.
Prior to entering military
service he was employed by E. I. DuPont De Nemours & Company
in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
His religion was listed as Protestant.
The application for his grave marker indicates he entered military service on October 2, 1941.
The 1st Battalion website
does not have access to Apparently he entered the Army
as an The article at left describes
how Reid The article is from Warren
Franklin Warren stated: "Advancement from Private
to Sergeant: |
The date of his commssion as an officer could not be found.
Reid landed on Utah Beach on D-Day, June 6, 1944, as a 1st Lieutenant in the Anti-Tank Company of the 22nd Infantry.
On July 2, 1944 the Commander of
Company C 22nd Infantry, Captain Robert B. Latimer, was assigned
to the position
of Executive Officer of 1st Battalion 22nd Infantry. Reid was
transferred to Company C and became the Company Commander.
He was promoted to Captain on July 19, 1944.
In late July 1944, Frank B. Reid
as a Captain, was commanding Company C of the 22nd Infantry.
His Company was attached to 2nd Battalion of the 66th Armored
Regiment of the 2nd Armored Division,
during Operation Cobra, the breakout from Normandy. The breakout
was centered around the town of St. Lô.
At the village of Moyon (called
Le Moyen in the citation below) Captain Reid led a patrol
of 12 men from Company C, in an effort to destroy a German
anti-tank gun which was
delaying the American advance. Reid and his patrol encountered
German tanks in the village,
and engaged in a fierce fight, destroying several tanks. Reid was
personally responsible for the
destruction of at least two German tanks himself.
The following citation was drawn
up by Major Robert B. Latimer, commanding 1st Battalion 22nd
Infantry
at this time, recommending Reid for the Distinguished Service
Cross:
Original recommendation for the Distinguished Service Cross for Frank B. Reid
Courtesy of John R. Tomawski
Map showing the advance
of 1st Battalion 22nd Infantry ( red line )
from St. Gilles to Moyon during the breakout from St. Lô.
Moyon was approximately 6-8 miles to the south of St. Lô.
Map from Google - line of advance colored by website editor
Apparently the recommendation
for the Distinguished Service Cross was not acted upon,
as Frank B. Reid never received the D.S.C. for which he was
recommended in the above action.
Two years after his death,
Captain Frank B. Reid was awarded the Silver Star Medal,
in General Orders, HQ, 1st Army, G.O. No. 10 (1946).
Captain Frank B. Reid died of
wounds received in action in Germany, during the 22nd Infantry's
first attack
against the Siegfried Line on September 14, 1944. The son of John
M. Kolder, who was the Supply Sergeant
for Company C 22nd Infantry at the time wrote:
"...My dad
was his supply Sergeant. I remember my dad telling me the story
of the day Capt. Reid died. My dad mentioned
that due to not having a company commander that he had to write
the letter to Capt. Reids family. My dad held him
until he passed away. After the battle my dad stated that Capt.
Reid had removed a small heater from a German tank
( they were coveted for heating up rations ) he tripped a booby
trap and lost his legs.
My dad also said that Capt. Reid was loved by his men."
From the son of John M. Kolder courtesy of John Tomawski
CAPT FRANK BURRUS REID HOSPITAL
FILE
Race: White, includes Mexican (White)
Rank: Officer, male
Admission Age: 25
Birth Date: abt 1919
Admission Date: Sep 1944
Discharge Date: Sep 1944
Military Branch: Infantry, General or Unspecified
Diagnosis: FirstLocation: Leg; SecondLocation: Back, generally; ;
CausativeAgent: Land Mine, While Afoot
Type of Injury: Casualty, battle
Medical Treatment: Penicillin therapy (treatment with penicillin)
Injured in Line of Duty: In line of duty
Type of Discharge: Died
Length of service: 3 Year(s), 0 Month(s)
Service Number: 0129 0658
Hospital file courtesy of Katey Cannington Mishler
Immediately below is the entry
in the 22ndInfantry Daily Action Journals for September 14, 1944.
Note that it is recorded, that at the time Reid was seriously
wounded,
he was considered to be "The best remaining Co (Company)
commander."
Journal of the 22nd
Infantry Regiment for September 14, 1944.
Red star marks the line noting the loss of Captain Frank B. Reid.
Daily Action Journal excerpt courtesy of John R. Tomawski
Frank B. Reid was buried in the
temporary U.S. Military Cemetery,
Fosse Cemetery, Namur, Belgium and some time later his remains
were returned to the United States where he was
reinterred in Kentucky.
Burial:
Hickman City Cemetery
Hickman
Fulton County
Kentucky
Grave marker for Frank B. Reid
Photo by Craig Thweatt from the Find A Grave website
The grave of Frank B. Reid
Photo by Craig Thweatt from the Find A Grave website
Vase containing dirt from the orchard
at the village of Moyon where the action took place in which CPT
Frank Reid was involved.
The wooden cap to the vase is made from the wood of an apple tree
which existed in the orchard during the war. This memento
was presented to John Tomawski upon his visit to Moyon in October
2014 to honor the grave and memory of his great-uncle
Ernest Lavoie, who lost his life in the battle of Moyon as a
member of Company A 22nd Infantry.
Photo courtesy of John Tomawski
Top photo by Warren Franklin from Ancestry.com
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