Captain Roy KIRBY RICKERSON O-1323739

Captain Roy KIRBY RICKERSON O-1323739 38385278, U. S. Army OSS. Husband of Myrna Staples Rickerson, 800 Pecan Street, Monroe. He was born November 19, 1918, and attended Bossier and Coushatta High Schools, Louisiana College, and a business college. He was employed by a railroad prior to induction December 15, 1941, at Camp Beauregard, at the age of 23. From Camp Robinson, Arkansas, he went to Fort Benning for OCS, then to Washington for special training, and to Camp Hale for ski training. He received amphibious training in Tunisia, airborne training at Trapani, Sicily. As a member of the Office of Strategic Services, he operated behind the enemy line in guerrilla and sabotage activities, and jumped into France 42 days before D-Day for the Southern Invasion. He was responsible for taking 3,824 prisoners August 31 at Privas, France. His campaigns include Rome-Arno, the North Alpines, Southern France, and China, and he made combat jumps in France and China, operating behind the Japanese lines in China for 10 weeks. He was awarded the Silver Star Medal (SSM), The Bronze Star Medal (BSM), The European (ETO) Ribbon with Arrowhead and four battle stars, Asiatic Pacific Theater (PTO) Ribbon with one Arrowhead and two battle stars. Captain Rickerson was relieved from active duty January 15, 1946. 

He received his Silver Star Medal while serving with Company B, 267th Special Reconnaissance Battalion (Separate), at Chambonte, France, on 31 August 1944. While on reconnaissance with two other officers and an interpreter near Privas, he learned from German prisoners that a German march column was in the valley near Chemerac. Boldly deciding to seek the surrender of the German units, First Lieutenant Rickerson proceeded with his reconnaissance party to the German garrison at Chambonte, and entered the town under the protection of the American flag. Approaching the commander of the German garrison, First Lieutenant Rickerson by exhibiting great courage and quick thinking used a clever ruse to secure the surrender of 3,824 of the enemy, including two colonels, six majors, ten captains, and fifteen lieutenants. Captain Roy KIRBY RICKERSON died on February 11, 2001, at the age of 82.

 

Source:

1- THE FIGHTING MEN OF LOUISIANA – LOUISIANA HISTORICAL INSTITUTE – 1946

2- https://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=893&mtch=1&tf=F&q=Roy+K+RICKERSON&bc=sd&rpp=10&pg=1&rid=7338507

3- http://valor.militarytimes.com/recipient.php?recipientid=111201

4- the U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014