Dixon E. Schumm

[Centurion1982]

Another hero who gave his today for our tomorrow! RIP

 

Name: Dixon E. Schumm

Born: 2 March 1911, Ohio, United States

Died: 25 January 1945, St Vith, Belgium

Buried: Plot C Row 16 Grave 10, Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, Belgium

Spouse: Ethel Rosella Schumm

Enlistment date: 25 June 1943

Rank: Private First Class

Service number: 35067565

Unit: 7th Armored Division, 48th Armored Infantry Battalion, Company C

 

Dixon was a truck driver before his enlistment. He married Ethel Frolly on May 27, 1940.

 

In June 1943 he started training at Fort Bliss (with an Anti-Aircraft unit) in Texas prior to shipping overseas (probably in the summer of 1944).

 

In April 1944 his tonsils were removed at the Station Hospital on Fort Bliss.

 

He transferred to Europe as a replacement and was assigned to C Company of the 48th Armored Infantry Battalion on 20 October 1944. He transferred to the unit from the 86th replacement battalion at that time. His duty code shows as 745 (rifleman).

 

On 27 October 1944, the main part of the 7th Armored Division was in essentially defensive positions along the line Nederweert (and south) to Meijel to Liesel, with the demonstration force still in the attack across the Deurne canal to the east. The Germans launched a two-division offensive centered on Meijel, catching the thinly stretched 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron of the 7th Armored Division by surprise. However, the response by the 7th Armored and by British Lieutenant General Sir Richard O'Connor's British VIII Corps, to which the division was attached, stopped the German attack on the third day and then from 31 October to 8 November gradually drove the enemy out of the terrain that they had taken.

 

On 8 November 1944, the 7th Armored was again transferred to the Ninth Army and moved south to rest areas at and east of Maastricht. Following an inflow of many replacements, they began extensive training and reorganization, since so many original men had been lost in France and the Netherlands that a significant part of the division was now men who had never trained together. At the end of November, the division straddled the Dutch-German border with one combat command in Germany (in the area of Ubach, north of Aachen) and two in the Netherlands.

 

Dixon was promoted to Private First Class on 1 December 1944.

 

The 7th was preparing to drive into Germany when the Ardennes offensive began on 16 December 1944. Two days later Dixon was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge (CIB).

 

The division was transferred to the U.S. First Army, under Lieutenant General Courtney Hodges, and ordered to St. Vith, Belgium, a critical road and rail center needed by the Germans to supply their offensive. Over the course of almost a week, the 7th Armored (along with elements of the 106th, the 28th Infantry Division and 9th Armored Divisions) absorbed much of the weight of the German drive, throwing the German time table into great disarray, before being forced to withdraw west of the Salm River on 23 December. The division moved to the area of Manhay, Belgium.

 

Dixon was wounded (WIA) on the night (attack started at 10 PM) of 24-25 December in the fighting near Manhay, Belgium as part of the 7th Armored Divisions withdrawal from St. Vith during the Battle of the Bulge. According to the morning reports he was first listed as MIA on 25 December. At this time he was wounded by artillery shrapnel in the leg. He was erroneously listed as MIA at that time which was later corrected to show him in the hospital. He returned from the hospital on 18 January 1945.

 

After a brief rest in January 1945, the division returned to positions near St. Vith, attacked, and re-captured the town on 23 January 1945. On 25 January he was KIA when some artillery fire fell on the battalion front lines during the night of 25-26 January 1945. The battalion was prepared for an attack to take a hill in that area (approximately 1.5 miles Southeast of St. Vith, Belgium). The attack would start at 7:00 AM on 26 January 1945.

 

On 28 January 1945 he was reported as MIA (in battle on 25 December 1945) so they may not have been able to locate his remains initially for a medical examination. On 29 January 1945 he was reported KIA as per 25 January 1945. He was eventually buried at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, Belgium

[Centurion1982]

A postcard Dixon send to his wife during his training days at Fort Bliss. He was looking forward to go abroad for the first time. More than a year later he would never come home again. Very poignant!

[Centurion1982]

During Memorial Day 2017

[Centurion1982]

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[Lucky 7th Armored]

Wow! Job well done honoring this hero! I was a second too late when this came up for sale on the forum. I am beyond glad to see it went to a great home. The frame job, and research is phenomenal! Kudos to you!

 

Haydn

[Dave]

That's an awesome tribute. Very nicely done!!!