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| Staff Sergeant Thomas Dyess earned the Distinguished Service Cross while serving with the 4th Infantry Division. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/159037748/thomas-frank-dyess https://www.facebook.com/4thID/photos/a.194144337264452/1846382205373982/?type=3&theater |
Thomas Frank Dyess, Jr. never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
Announcement: In just a few days we will be starting a project that will result in the stories of all 400,000 plus of the World War 2 fallen at one online location. There will be an accompanying smart phone app to allow users visiting any war memorial to scan the fallen serviceman's name and be linked to his story. Watch this blog or join the WW2 Fallen 100 Facebook page to learn of upcoming details.
Thomas was born on February 2, 1920 in Rome, Mississippi. His parents Thomas and Fanny Lee were also both born in Mississippi. His father worked as a farmer and later as a textile press operator. Thomas had one older sister and one younger sister. By 1940 Thomas had completed three years of high school.He worked as a battery filler and textile worker while living at home. He married Mildred (I don't know her maiden name) at some point.
He was drafted into the army in January 5, 1943. He became a staff sergeant in Company B, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division. As a late draftee he was not with the 4th ID when it arrived in England in January 1944. He did not get to England until May. He may or may not have landed on Utah Beach on D-Day. If not, he was an early replacement and first saw action fighting in the hedgerows of Normandy.
Sgt. Dyess was wounded in November, while the 4th ID was fighting in the Hurtgen Forest, but was able to return to his unit.
By February, the 4th ID was halted at the Prum River by heavy enemy resistance. Sgt. Dyess was killed on February 6, 1945. He was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for the actions that led to his death.
His Distinguished Service Cross citation reads as follows:
For extraoridantory 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.
Sergeant Dyess' outstanding valor and aggressiveness against formidable opposition reflect the highest military traditions. Sergeant Dyess died as a result of wounds sustained in the action.
His grave is at Magnolia Cemetery in Magnolia, Mississippi. I don't know what happened to his widow.
Last year on this date I profiled Saipan fallen Leon Aliano, 27th Infantry Division. You can read about Leon here.
On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!
I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100
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