Memorial

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Lt Col Frederick J. Simpson studied at Swavely Preparatory School in Manassas.Virginia, for admission to West Point. He was graduated from West Point in June 1930 as a Second Lieutenant in the Infantry and assigned to Fort Ontario, New York. After several tours of duty as an Infantry Officer, he studied in the Tank section of the Infantry School and then started an illustrious career as a "tanker".

In March 1943 Col Simpson was impatiently waiting at Camp Campbell, Kentucky, to meet the men he was eventually to lead into battle. A group of raw recruits was received by an excited cadre and no time was wasted in molding these men into an aggressive and efficient unit. Considerable time and effort was spent by the Colonel in getting the right men into the right places. He saw to it that a man with some medical training was in the medics, a good mechanic went in a service company and a good cook in the mess hall. Under Col Simpson’s tireless leadership, everyone strove for perfection in his duties. He always impressed upon his men that no matter how lowly the task it was to be well done. It was on April 14, 1945, on one of these inspection trips outside the German city of Gardelegen, that he chose to shoot it out with some fanatical Nazis, and so gave his life for his country.