Russell Reeder
Encyclopedia
Russell Potter "Red" Reeder, Jr. (4 March 1902 - 22 February 1998) was a United States Army
officer
and author
. Colonel Reeder’s military decorations include the Distinguished Service Cross
, the Silver Star
, the Legion of Merit
, the Bronze Star
, the Purple Heart
, the Combat Infantryman Badge
, and two decorations awarded by France: the Croix de Guerre
avec Palm and the Légion d'honneur
.
Reeder was born in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas on March 4, 1902. His father, Russell Potter Reeder Sr., was a West Point graduate and Reeder and his family moved to different military bases around the country. At the age of eleven, he heroically saved the life of a drowning younger child in Casco Bay, Maine. For this achievement, he was awarded the Treasury Department Silver Lifesaving Medal. Reeder entered West Point when he was eighteen years old in 1920 and played football and baseball as a cadet. He attended West Point for six years and graduated in 1926.
During the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Reeder was stationed in California
. By the end of December 1941, he had joined the Army operations division and was transferred to a military base in Washington. Reeder was sent to England in April 1944, to take over a command within the Fourth Infantry Division. Reeder's regiment of 3,000 soldiers fought on Utah beach during D-Day
. On June 11, 1944, during the Battle of Normandy
, Reeder got shrapnel in his ankle that almost severed his left leg. Reeder was taken back to England, and from there was taken to the Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington and his leg was amputated
.
After retiring from military service in 1946, Reeder became an athletic director at West Point. He quit his job as an athletic director at West Point after 20 years in 1967 and pursued a career in nonfiction writing. Of his nonfiction works, Medal of Honor Heroes and The West Point Story were written for the Landmark series of historical literature for children. In 1997, Reeder was awarded the Distinguished Graduate Award by the Association of Graduates of the United States Military Academy Reeder died on February 22, 1998 at the age of 95. He survived his wife and younger sister, and has four children, ten grandchildren, and fifteen great-grandchildren.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
. Colonel Reeder’s military decorations include the Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...
, the Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
, the Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
, the Bronze Star
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
, the Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
, the Combat Infantryman Badge
Combat Infantryman Badge
The Combat Infantryman Badge is the U.S. Army combat service recognition decoration awarded to soldiers—enlisted men and officers holding colonel rank or below, who personally fought in active ground combat while an assigned member of either an infantry or a Special Forces unit, of brigade size...
, and two decorations awarded by France: the Croix de Guerre
Croix de guerre 1939-1945 (France)
The Croix de guerre 1939–1945 is a French military decoration created on September 26, 1939, to honour people who fought with the Allies against the Axis force at any time during World War II.-Recipients:...
avec Palm and the Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
.
Reeder was born in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas on March 4, 1902. His father, Russell Potter Reeder Sr., was a West Point graduate and Reeder and his family moved to different military bases around the country. At the age of eleven, he heroically saved the life of a drowning younger child in Casco Bay, Maine. For this achievement, he was awarded the Treasury Department Silver Lifesaving Medal. Reeder entered West Point when he was eighteen years old in 1920 and played football and baseball as a cadet. He attended West Point for six years and graduated in 1926.
During the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Reeder was stationed in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. By the end of December 1941, he had joined the Army operations division and was transferred to a military base in Washington. Reeder was sent to England in April 1944, to take over a command within the Fourth Infantry Division. Reeder's regiment of 3,000 soldiers fought on Utah beach during D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
. On June 11, 1944, during the Battle of Normandy
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
, Reeder got shrapnel in his ankle that almost severed his left leg. Reeder was taken back to England, and from there was taken to the Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington and his leg was amputated
Amputation
Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma, prolonged constriction, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on individuals as a preventative surgery for...
.
After retiring from military service in 1946, Reeder became an athletic director at West Point. He quit his job as an athletic director at West Point after 20 years in 1967 and pursued a career in nonfiction writing. Of his nonfiction works, Medal of Honor Heroes and The West Point Story were written for the Landmark series of historical literature for children. In 1997, Reeder was awarded the Distinguished Graduate Award by the Association of Graduates of the United States Military Academy Reeder died on February 22, 1998 at the age of 95. He survived his wife and younger sister, and has four children, ten grandchildren, and fifteen great-grandchildren.