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Remember...William Carl Dyer
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William Carl Dyer was born January 1, 1917, at Spencer, Roane County, West Virginia. His parents were Harry Lee Dyer and Ona Bell Sinnett Dyer. Willliam had an older sister, Geraldine Elizabeth (married name: Layne), and two older brothers, James Maurice Dyer and Nigel Sinnett Dyer. He also had a younger sister, Betty Jo (married name: Hendershot). He also had a younger brother, John Lindberg Dyer. Sadly, the Dyer family lost three infants, in 1914, 1926, and 1931. (Family information from Federal Census documents for 1920, 1930, and 1940 and the Find A Grave page for Sgt. William Carl Dyer.) Although the family originated in Roane County, by 1920 they were living at Graham in Mason County.
When William enlisted in the U.S. Army at Fort Hayes in Columbus, Ohio, on October 12, 1940, he indicated that he had completed four years of high school and was engaged in "unskilled occupations in printing and publishing." Two months later, on Christmas Day, he married Kathleen Sarah Roush. (After his death, she remarried to an Overholt.) Willliam was branched into the infantry and assigned to the 10th Infantry Regiment, 5th Infantry Division.
Although not part of the June 6 D-Day invasion, the 10th Infantry Regiment arrived in France soon after on July 9, 1944. They arrived at Les Dunes de Varreville, then continued up the coast of Montebourg. On July 15, they relieved the 18th Regiment. The 10th became known for its fierce fighting forces and the ability to get the job done. Their effectiveness could be seen in their pushback of German forces in the Battle of the Bulge. After that, the regiment encountered heavy combat across the continent, including action in the Rhineland and Central Europe. The regiment sustained 7,124 casualties in World War II (one of which would have been Sergeant William Carl Dyer). The 10th Infantry Regiment earned the French Croix de Guerre with Palm from the French Government for actions surrounding the Moselle River crossing. The citation reads:
A unit animated to the highest degree with the spirit of sacrifice and always in the front in battle. Picked to carry out a surprise action in the course of its operations from 9 to 15 September 1944, the region of Arnaville and Army, it succeeded in placing two battalions on the right bank of the Moselle in the middle of the night on terrain where progress was difficult due to heavy rainfall. Counterattacked at dawn by a powerful enemy, it succeeded in holding its position in spite of heavy losses due to a lack of antitank arms. After six days of uninterrupted combat, it occupied the village of Army and forced the enemy to fall back. ("10th Infantry Regiment [United States]," Wikipedia, last edited 2 January 2025, accessed 28 January 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10th_Infantry_Regiment_(United_States)#:~:text=The%20regiment%20was%20inactively%20stationed,there%20through%20World%20War%20II.)
| It was during the action at the Moselle, specifically on September 11, that Sgt. Dyer lost his life. In 1948, his remains were returned to the States, and he was buried in the Graham Cemetery in Mason County. William Carl Dyer received the Purple Heart for his sacrifice. |  Headstone for Sgt. William C. Dyer in Graham Cemetery, Mason County. Find A Grave photo courtesy of "Jim and Elizabeth" (Memorial # 85657640) |
Article prepared by Patricia Richards McClure
February 2025
West Virginia Archives and History welcomes any additional information that can be provided about these veterans, including photographs, family names, letters and other relevant personal history.
