Memorial

More information

2nd Lt Ralph B. Greear attended the University of Texas where he was in the 1933 football team. Before he joined the Army he worked of the City Service. He obtained his commission by the volunteer officers' program.

Lt Greear was awarded the Bronze Star Medal posthumously. The citation cited: For meritorious service in support of combat operations against the enemy in Germany from 20 tot 29 November 1944. Although newly arrived in the combat zone, Lt Greear's immediate examples of leadership and natural humor aided greatly in maintaining morale during the difficult Hürtgen Forest fighting. He led every patrol assigned his platoon, and could be depended upon to complete every mission given him. During an attack on a strategic hill, while leading a section of his platoon to outflank an enemy machine gun nest which was holding up the advance, he was killed by an enemy rifleman.

A friend of his brother, Col William Greear, wrote concerning the circumstances of his death: "The attack in which Ralph was killed began early in the morning and had progressed well against stiff German resistance. About 2 p.m. as his platoon after sustaining some casualties reached a small thick wood, an enemy rifle shot came very close to Ralph. Without faltering, he shook his head, looked back toward his platoon, smiled and encouraged them onward. Whitin a minute (three eyewitnesses told me) a second shot struck him and killed him instantly. He fell forward and never moved. His platoon continued forward saddened and enraged by his loss. They drove into the wood and killed the Germans who were occupying a machine gun nest under the branches of a fallen tree. Ralph's body was recovered by his platoon and later buried with honor and services by a Protestant chaplain in an American cemetery in Belgium."