Frank D. Peregory

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Frank D. Peregory was a World War II United States Army technical sergeant who won both the Soldier's Medal and, posthumously, the Medal of Honor.

Contents

[edit] Biography

He was born 10 April 1916 at Esmont, Virginia, and grew up in a large, impoverished, but tightly knit family in Albemarle County, Virginia. His family name is actually spelled “Peregoy” according to historian Richard H. Britton, although most references spell his name “Peregory.” His birth year is also typically given erroneously as 1915. In 1931 he joined the Virginia National Guard at Charlottesville which is the county seat of Albemarle. Because Peregoy was only fifteen at the time, he lied about his year of birth, and this misinformation became part of his permanent record along with the presumably accidental misspelling of his surname. Upon the entrance of the United States into World War II, Peregoy's Guard unit became Company K of the 116th Infantry, 29th Infantry Division.

During a training exercise before being sent overseas, Peregoy rescued a drowning comrade. In recognition of his timely action and disregard of danger to himself, he was awarded the Soldier's Medal, the highest award that a soldier who has not been in combat can receive.

On 6 June 1944, Peregoy landed with the 116th at Omaha Beach as part of the Normandy Invasion, also known as D-Day. Despite fierce enemy resistance that included heavy shelling and machinegun fire, by 8 June, Peregoy's unit had made its way to the town of Grandcampe.

[edit] Medal of Honor citation

His Medal of Honor citation reads:

Citation:

On 8 June 1944, the 3d Battalion of the 116th Infantry was advancing on the strongly held German defenses at Grandcampe, France, when the leading elements were suddenly halted by decimating machinegun fire from a firmly entrenched enemy force on the high ground overlooking the town. After numerous attempts to neutralize the enemy position by supporting artillery and tank fire had proved ineffective, T/Sgt. Peregory, on his own initiative, advanced up the hill under withering fire, and worked his way to the crest where he discovered an entrenchment leading to the main enemy fortifications 200 yards away. Without hesitating, he leaped into the trench and moved toward the emplacement. Encountering a squad of enemy riflemen, he fearlessly attacked them with handgrenades and bayonet, killed 8 and forced 3 to surrender. Continuing along the trench, he single-handedly forced the surrender of 32 more riflemen, captured the machine gunners, and opened the way for the leading elements of the battalion to advance and secure its objective. The extraordinary gallantry and aggressiveness displayed by T/Sgt. Peregory are exemplary of the highest tradition of the armed forces.

[edit] Death and burial

Six days later Peregoy was killed while fighting in the hedgerows. He is buried at the American Battle Monuments Cemetery in Normandy also known as Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. http://www.homeofheroes.com/gravesites/abmc/peregory_frank.html

[edit] Honors

A building complex at Fort Pickett in Virginia was dedicated to Peregoy in 1984. The misspelling “Peregory” is literally set in stone on two continents.

Information about Peregoy was presented by Rick Britton on the “Charlottesville--Right Now” program, WINA Radio 1070, Charlottesville, Virginia, 2 November 2007.

[edit] See also

United States Army Portal

[edit] External links