AARON A. WEAVER CHAPTER 776
CITRUS COUNTY, FLORIDA
MEETINGS
Chapter meetings are at 1:15 p.m. on the third Tuesday of January, March, May July, September and November.
LOCATION
Citrus County Resource Center and VA Clinic, 2804 W Marc Knighton Court, Lecanto (Off of C.R. 491).
Military Order of the Purple Heart
CHAPTER PURPOSE
To preserve the proud legacy of the Purple Heart Medal.
Dixon was ranked 12th nationally by the U.S. Tennis Association in the 65 and over doubles category.
While a high school senior in his native Virginia, Inverness resident Sam Dixon was drafted into the U.S. Army in September 1943. After completing basic training at Camp Wheeler near Macon, Georgia, he joined the 1st Infantry Division in England in April 1944 as it prepared for the liberation of France.
Only 18, Dixon participated in the historic D-
After fighting its way inland 20 miles, Dixon’s regiment seized its invasion objective, the French town of Caumont. However, with British forces and the American 29th Infantry Division unable to secure their respective objectives at Caan and St Lo, Dixon’s regiment was the target of Nazi counter attacks for 20 days until the Allied breakout at St Lo.
Dixon received his first Purple Heart on July 28, 1944 at Savigny, France. As his unit moved into Savigny, it came under heavy enemy artillery and small arms fire. Dixon was wounded in the right leg as he braved enemy machinegun fire to rescue a wounded comrade crying out for help. For his heroic action in the face of heavy enemy fire, Dixon was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor.
After being hospitalized four months in England, Dixon returned to duty with Company G just prior to the Battle of the Bulge. Only his company commander and first sergeant remained of the unit members who landed on Omaha Beach six months earlier.
During the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944, Dixon’s unit was ferociously attacked by enemy tanks and infantry. Although his unit was almost totally wiped out, it held the line thanks to U.S. artillery fire and courageous leadership. After the Battle of the Bulge, Dixon’s unit was pulled out of the line to await replacements.
Dixon next saw combat during his unit’s assault crossing of Germany’s Roer River. During this operation, he was wounded a second time on February 26, 1945 while going to the aid of two seriously wounded comrades. After moving them to the shelter of a house, Dixon received face and throat wounds from an enemy mortar round as he stood near the doorway of the house.
Again, Dixon was evacuated to a hospital in England. Suffering some permanent paralysis of the throat nerves, he was sent to Richmond, Virginia’s McGuire Army Hospital in April 1945. On September 27, 1945, he was honorably discharged from the Army with a 50 percent disability and as the proud recipient of two Bronze Stars, two Purple Hearts and the coveted Combat Infantryman Badge.
After earning his high school GED in 1946, he received a B.A. degree from Emory and Henry College in 1950 and a M.A. degree from Eastern Tennessee State in 1955. A high school teacher and coach in Virginia and Maryland for 35 years, he realized his dream born in a foxhole in northern France of dedicating his life to our nation’s youth.
An avid tennis player for 25 years, Dixon has been ranked 12th nationally by the U.S. Tennis Association in the 65 and over doubles category and 2d and 3d in the Florida Senior Gran Prix’s 75 and over doubles category. In addition to enjoying tennis and time with his wife of 22 years, Evelyn, Dixon looks forward to the annual gathering of Company G’s seven surviving members.
A Life Member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Dixon is also a Life member of the VFW, American Legion, 1st Infantry Division Association and 26th Infantry Association.
G Company,
Weapons Platoon,
4th Squad
Coach Sam