Frank D. Peregory

Technical Sergeant, U.S. Army

Medal of Honor Recipient

World War II

Technical Sergeant Frank D. Peregory (10 April 1916 - 14 June 1944) was a U.S. Army soldier who was posthumously awarded the U.S. military's highest award for valor, the Medal of Honor, for his heroic actions during World War II. In a previous incident, he also received the Soldier's Medal for rescuing another soldier from drowning.

Frank D. Peregory was born on 10 April 1916 in Esmont, VA. He grew up in a large, impoverished, but tightly knit family in Albemarle County, VA. 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 U.S. into World War II, Peregoy's Guard unit became Company K of the 116th Infantry, 29th Infantry Division and they were inducted into Federal service on 3 February 1942.

As a member of the 29th Division, Peregory moved with it to Fort Meade and the unit began training for participation in the war. During a training exercise in North Carolina before being sent overseas, Peregoy rescued a drowning comrade. In recognition of his action and disregard of danger to himself, he was awarded the Soldier's Medal, the highest non-combat award that a soldier can receive for saving a life. The 29th was then sent overseas to train in Scotland and England for the next two years. The 29th was selected along with the Regular Army's 1st Infantry Division to attack one of five fortified beaches, codenamed "Omaha."

After the assault had been postponed several times, on 6 June 1944, Peregoy landed with the 116th at Omaha Beach as part of the Normandy Invasion, also known as D-Day. His unit was among the first wave of troops to assault the beach but, despite fierce enemy resistance that included heavy shelling and machine gun fire, his unit made its way to the town of Grandcampe on 8 June.

While his unit advanced on the German defenses, the leading elements of his unit began receiving fire from German forces. The Germans were firmly entrenched on high ground overlooking the town and were able to inflict severe damage to Allied Forces as they approached. Numerous attempts to neutralize the enemy position by supporting artillery and tank fire had proved ineffective until Technical Sergeant Peregory, risked his own life by advancing up the hill under heavy enemy fire. He worked his way to the crest of the hill 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. When he encountered a squad of enemy riflemen, he attacked them with hand grenades and his bayonet, killing 8 and forcing 3 to surrender. He then continued along the trench, forcing more than 32 German soldiers to surrender, including the machine gunners. This action opened the way for the leading elements of the battalion, allowing them to advance and secure its objective. For his actions Peregory was recommended and approved for the Medal of Honor.

Six days later, Peregory was killed while fighting in the hedgerows.

Medal of Honor

Rank and organization: Technical Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company K, 116th Infantry, 29th Infantry Division.

Place and date: Grandcampe, France, 8 June 1944.

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.

Medal and Awards

Medal of Honor
Soldier's Medal

Honors

A building complex at Fort Pickett in Virginia was dedicated to Peregoy in 1984. In June 2010 a rededication ceremony was held and a new monument was unveiled with descriptions of his actions regarding the Medal of Honor and the Soldiers Medal.

The Frank D. Peregory United States Army Reserve Center, located in Charlottesville, VA, is named in his honor.

The Frank D. Peregory Fitness Center located in Camp McGovern Bosnia is named in his honor.

Death and Burial

Technical Sergeant Frank D. Peregory was killed in action on 14 June 1944. He is buried at the American Battle Monuments Cemetery in Normandy also known as Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, Basse-Normandie Region, France. His grave is located in Section G, Row 21, Grave 7.