Doyle D. Grimm

Biography:  Doyle D. Grimm was born on January 6, 1918 in Ossian Indiana which is in Wells County.  He was the son of Russell Jake Grimm and Doris Grimm of Fort Wayne, IN and had at least one sister, Wanda Marie Grimm.  Doyle graduated high school and worked as a construction worker prior to entering military service.  He was not married.

Service Time:  Doyle entered the service on March 1, 1941 at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana and was assigned to Headquarters Company of the 776th Tank Destroyer Battalion.  The 776th saw action throughout North Africa and Europe receiving credit for the Tunisia, Naples - Foggia, Rome Arno, Rhineland and Central Europe campaigns.  The unit was attached to the 100th Infantry Division for some time and a detailed history of the unit can be found on their website.

Selective Service Report - March 1, 1941

It was on May 2, 1943, during the unit's first campaign in Tunisia, that Staff Sergeant Grimm died heroically when he and six other members of the battalion, attempted to aid in the extinguishing of a fire in a vehicle loaded with explosives.  Doyle was posthumously awarded the Soldier's Medal, which requires the following criteria to receive it: "The performance must have involved personal hazard or danger and the voluntary risk of life under conditions not involving conflict with an armed enemy." It is the highest honor a soldier can receive for an act of valor in a non-combat situation.  His mother would have been notified of his death earlier but a letter dated August 16, 1943 was sent to her identifying his award of the medal.  It was signed by Major General James Alexander Ulio who was the Adjutant General.  The medal shown below is the actual named medal (#6005) sent to the Grimm family.

Soldiers Medal Letter to Doris Grimm - August 16, 1943

Doyle was ultimately brought home and buried in the New Albany National Cemetery in New Albany, IN. 

I want to personally thank Keith McCormack for his assistance with this information and photos.  His efforts to find Doyle's family and Honor his memory deserve recognition.  It is our hope that a relative can be found to provide additional information about Doyle and possibly a photo for his Honoree page. Thanks also to Tom Hubred for the information relating to the circumstances of Doyle's death.