Edwin D. Patrick
Major General Edwin Davies Patrick was an American general who was the commander of the 6th Infantry Division during World War II.Biography
He was born January 11, 1894 in Tell City Perry County, Indiana, was the son of John Thomas Patrick and Anna Elnore Menninger, sister of Carl Frederick Menninger, founder of the Menninger Clinic. Patrick was raised in Tell City, Indiana, and was commissioned in the Indiana National Guard in 1915, following his graduation from college. He never joined the United States Military Academy and became 2nd Lt. with the National Guard in 1917 instead.
With the US intervention in World War I Patrick joined the 14th Machine Gun Battalion and fought in France with the American Expeditionary Forces in the Saint-Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne offensives.During World War II, Patrick served on the staff of Admiral William Halsey for a brief period and then became Chief of Staff of general Walter Krueger's 6th Army. He was the commander of the task forces in the battles of Wakde and Noemfoor. Afterwards, he was given command of the 6th Infantry Division.
During the Philippines campaign of 1944-45 Patrick inspected troops east of Manila on March 14. A Japanese soldier, who had remained in hiding behind the lines, opened fire from with a machine gun, mortally wounding Patrick, who died the next day.
Edwin Patrick was one of only three American division commanders to die in combat action in World War II. Patrick was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. A Navy transport ship,, was named in his honor.
