Second Lieutenant Richard Lee McClintock

Richard Lee McClintock was a Second Lieutenant in the 276^th Infantry Regiment of the 70^th Infantry Division. He was born to Frederich and Edith McClintock in 1914 and died in action on January 5^th, 1945.¹ He was born in South Carolina, but his family was quite mobile considering the period. His father, of Virginia, resided in South Carolina in 1914 but by 1920 had moved his family to Englewood, Colorado.² By 1930, Richard and his family were residents of Tampa, in Hillsborough County, Florida where Richard remained until his enlistment.³ Before enlisting, he married his wife, Jewel by 1940.⁴ He enlisted on December 28^th, 1942 at Camp Blanding, Florida.⁵ Perhaps due to his 4 years of high school, or his experience as a salesman, he was able to enlist as a Warrant Officer.

            Richards path to becoming a second lieutenant in the 276^th Infantry Regiment is unclear; a bachelor’s degree was, and still is, a requirement to becoming a commissioned officer. It is possible he was a battlefield commission given his heroism, indicated by his Purple Heart and Silver Star awards, earned for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy.” The vast majority of the 70^th Infantry Division “Trailblazers,” commanded by Major General Allison Barnett, did not arrive in the European Theater until January 18^th, 1945. Since Lieutenant McClintock was killed in action on the fifth, it is clear he was a part of Task Force Herren, which arrived on December 10^th, 1944. Named for the commander Brigadier General Thomas Herren, who was the deputy commander of the division, Task Force Herren “took over defensive positions along the West bank of the Rhine, 28 December 1944, in the [1]vicinity of Bischweiler, south of Haguenau Forest.” Their mission was to stop the final major German offensive on the Western front, Operation Nordwind.^6[2]

            It is likely that Lieutenant McClintock lost his life in one of the unit’s attacks on Phillipsbourg or at Wingen. Shortly after his death, the Task Force moved south towards Saarbrucken to carry out reconnaissance and combat patrols.  Task Force Herren was shortly dissolved once the rest of the 70th infantry arrived. But before that, they helped prepare for the assault on Stiring-Wendel, Saarbrucken. Through the assault, Allied forces broke the defenses set along the north bank of the Saar to take Volklingen, among other towns. It is worth noting that Lieutenant McClintocks bravery is not common. His commanders awarded him one of 185 Silver Stars within a division of over 15,000 soldiers that engaged often in combat.⁷