Edward Fry Jr was from Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas. He met Wilbert White while he was studying at Texas A&M College.
Mr. White writes: "Edwin Fry and I graduated from Texas A&M College (now a University) on January 25, 1943. He got degree in Civil Engineering and mine was in Mechanical Engineering. We both were in the Engineer ROTC Corps and lived in Walton Hall. We did not  have any classes together. 

He was in D Company and I was in E Company and we drilled on different days. We knew each other, but not too well. The class of 1943 was the last class to graduate during WW II. The class of 1944 had to enlist in the reserves before they could get a  ROTC contract in their Junior Year. They were called up during their first semester.

 

[no crest available]

82nd Engineer Combat Battalion

After Pearl Harbor, A&M went on a three semester a year schedule and there was no more summer school.  ROTC members previously went to a summer camp and were Commissioned as 2nd Lt. upon graduation.  Texas A&M supplied more than 40,000 commissioned officers to the armed forces during WW II. This was more than any other school in the nation and more than West Point and Annapolis had graduated in their history. The Sunday after graduation in College Station it was 86F, and Monday morning when we arrived in Houston to be inducted into the Army it as 15F.

We both went to OST at Fort Belvior, VA in different platoons and were ordered to the 82nd Engineer Combat at the same time. The battalion arrived at Omaha Beach on D+11 and we were in A Company. After St. Lo, I was assigned to headquarters as Recon officer."

Lt. Fry's 1st Platoon, Company A. Picture was taken on 18 November 1944 in Palenberg near Ubach, Germany (picture Courtesy of Kevin Shanley)

Lt. Fry became platoon leader of 1st platoon, A company, 82nd Engineer Combat Battalion. On Thanksgiving Day, November 23, 1944, A Company was clearing anti-tank mines from a roadway in Freialdenhoven, Germany just north of Aachen. Mr. Buol Hinman, driver of Lt. Fry, picks up the story here:

"Lt. Fry lead the 1st Platoon of A Co and I think Lt. Campanale led the 2nd or 3rd Platoon. I was Lt. Fry's jeep driver in the 1st Platoon. It was Thanksgiving Day and we were going to get real turkey dinners when we finished our jobs for the day. We were to clear a road of mines so the ammunition trucks could use it to bring up the ammo to the guns of the 2nd Armored Division. We found five laid in a "X" pattern. We also found a spot where our detectors really buzzed but we couldn't find any mines by probing with our bayonets. Lt. Fry even checked it.

We pulled the five mines and three of them were activated and exploded. Lt. Campanale had come over from his platoon's work area to see if Lt. Fry would take his 1st platoon over to help his platoon finish their work which was taking longer than expected. Fry declined as he had promised his men that we would go get our turkey dinners as soon as we finished our job.

Our truck was backing up with the dirt to fill the craters caused by the three exploding mines. Lt. Fry sent me to go get the jeep. The truck filled the first two craters and was backing up toward the third when I stepped to the side to let it pass. I figured I was about a yard away from the truck when it hit an undetected mine. The inside wheel must have detonated it and the outside wheel forced the blast up as it caught me under the chin and in my face. It blew it up to the front of the truck where the driver of the truck just missed me as he bolted from the truck cab. The Lts were about ten yards behind the truck. Lt. Campanale was killed instantly and Lt. Fry died next to me in the aid station. We had spoiled everyone's Thanksgiving dinner."

1Lt Edward Fry is buried at Margraten American Military Cemetery, Plot M Row 9 Grave 2.

Margraten, The Netherlands

See also:
2Lt Joseph Campanale

Other casualties of the 82nd Engineer Combat Battalion

Sources and Acknowledgements:
Mr. Wilbert White, 82nd Engineer Combat Battalion
Mr. Buol Hinman, Co A, 82nd Engineer Combat Battalion
Mr. Edward Husted, 82nd Engineer Combat Battalion
82nd Engineer Combat Battalion website


Directions to Margraten American Military Cemetery

Posted 13 September 2005

If you have any suggestions, comments or additional information, please contact me.

This website is dedicated to the men and women who died and/or are buried in The Netherlands during World War II.

 

Home | Search | Research | About