Evening star., 1944-07-31
col. Russell P. Reeder
Wins DSC;; 4 District
Area Men Decorated

A patient in Walter Reed Hos
pital received the Distinguished
Service Cross, Washington man
the Legion of Merit and three Dis
trict area men the Silver Star, II
was announced today by the War
Department.
Col. Russell p. Reeder, Leayen-
worth, Kans., who has been at
Walter Reed since July 10. was
awarded the Distinguished Service
Cross for outstanding leadership OF
his infantry regiment during the
early lighting in Normandy,
Col. Reeder's outfit landed on
D-day, his soldiers overrunning the
field and outfianking the enemy. A
few days later, on June II, he was
hit in the left leg by flying missile
and suffered compound fracture.
He was among the early casualties
to be returned to this country.
A West Point graduate of 1926, he
played on the Army's football team.
When Col Reeder was II years old
he won the Treasury Department
silver Hfesaving medal for rescuing
a 6-year-old playmate from drown
ing. He holds Silver Star for GAL
lantry in the Southwest Pacific area
and on April received the Legion
of Merit for serving on Guadalcanal
as representative OF the Once of
Chief of Operations. He led the
l2th Infantry in Normandy. The
DISC was awarded for his conduct
June 7 in the capture of enemy
fortified positions.
Col. Charles A. Horn, whose wife
lives at 5423 Thirty-second street
NV, recently received the Legion
Of Merit in India for outstanding
service from March, 1912. to October
1943, according to a dispatch from
the Goth Bomber Command.
During this period Col. Horn
served at Army Air Force headquar-
tiers in Washington as executive of
the Directorate of War Organization
and Movement and as executive and
chief of the operations division,
Air Staff.
Second 1t. James w. Harvill. with
the 4th Infantry Division in France
has been awarded the Silver Star for
gallantry. His wife, Mrs. Beverly j.
Harvill, lives at 8l1 Quincy street
NV.
The citation states that when 1t.
Harvill's battalion was fiercely coun-
terattacked and in desperate need
OF mortar ammunition, he fought
his way through heavy enemy fire
twice to bring back two loads of
ammunition. AS a result his heavy
weapons company sent mortar fire
against the enemy at the rate of
l60 pounds in four minutes and
broke up the enemy attack.
Maj. Herbert S. Long. jr.. 1885
Phelps place NV, received the Sill
yer Star for gallantry as operations
officer OF a medium tank unit in
action near Carentan, France,
IIEe 13.
When his outfit was attacked by
German Panzer Grenadiers. the ci-
tation read, Maj. Long sought an
exposed opening in the hedgerows
to direct his troops. Despite heavy
enemy fire, he refused cover until
he had supervised defensive prepa-
rations down to the last man.
Maj. Longs forces then counter
attacked the enemy and drove them
back several hundred yards.
Staff Sergt. Vincent Ficco, infan-
try, of Seat Pleasant, Md. won the
Silver Star for gallantry with the
5th Army in Italy May IL.
After leading his squad through
heavy fire to occupy the division OBJ
jective, Sergt. Ficco killed two Ger
mans who attempted to retake a
captured enemy pillbox.
Sergt. Ficco, who was promoted
last month. is the son of Mr.. and
Mrs. Charles Ficco, Seventy first
street and Harriet avenue, Seat
Pleasant.