Fredrick North was my dad’s assistant gunner from Oct 1994 to 02 Jan 45

 

 

 
From the American Battle Monuments Commission website,

http://www.abmc.gov/search/wwii_list.php
Frederick J. North
Private First Class, U.S. Army
Service # 32947955
141st Infantry Regiment, 36th Infantry Division
Entered the Service from: New York
Died: 2-Jan-45
Buried at: Plot A Row 46 Grave 25
Epinal American Cemetery
Epinal, France
Awards: Purple Heart

 

Text Box: This roster cards courtesy of the Texas Military Forces Museum http://texasmilitaryforcesmuseum.yuku.com/

 

Frederick North was my dad's (PFC Marshall E. Thomas) assistant gunner from 26 Oct 1944 to 02 Jan 1945.  The morning of 02 Jan 1945, their position was being overrun by German infantry and at least 10 German tanks. Dad and Frederick volunteered to provide covering fire so I Company could pull back and regroup. They stayed with dad's machine gun until they saw the front of the 1st German tank coming over the hill. Dad pulled the bolt from his machine gun and threw it as hard as he could so the Germans could not use the gun on them. They both took off running back toward friendly lines. Dad said the last time he saw Frederick, he was running with his .45 pistol at port arms toward the woods. He never saw him again.

 Attached is a copy of my father's Bronze Star Citation for the action they saw this day:

HEADQUARTERS 36TH INFANTRY DIVISION

APO #36, U.S. ARMY

AG 200.6 28                                                                                                                               March 1945

SUBJECT: Award of Bronze Star Metal

TO : Private First Class MARSHALL E. THOMAS, 34848661,

Company I, 141st Infantry Regiment,

APO #36, U.S. ARMY

Under the provisions of Army Regulations 600-45, as amended, you are awarded a Bronze Star Medal for heroic achievement in combat.

CITATION

MARSHALL E. THOMAS, 34848661, Private First Class, Company I, 141st Infantry Regiment, for heroic achievement in combat on 2 January 1945 in France. When a large enemy force threatened to overrun the company’s position, a withdrawal was ordered. Private First Class Thomas, a machine gunner, volunteered to man his gun as a rearguard during the withdrawal. He moved his gun to a more exposed position and delivered a heavy volume of fire, temporarily halting the hostile advance. Although his actions drew heavy return fire from the enemy, he continued to fire until his company had set up a strong defense. By his courage and determination Private First Class Thomas enabled the men of his company to make a withdrawal to positions from which they later successfully counterattacked. Entered the Service from Loris, South Carolina.

SIGNED JOHN E. DAHLQUIST Major General,

U.S. Army Commanding

HEADQUARTERS 36TH DIVISION

OFFICIAL SEAL ADJ. GENLS. OFFICE

 

 

 

 

 

 


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