Francis Lyne

Birthplace: Oak Hill, KS

Branch of Service: Army

Unit: 104th Inf., COC Div., 414th Reg.

Theater of Operation: European

Enlisted / Commissioned: Jun 1, 1944

Discharged: Mar 1, 1969

Military Honors: 5 Purple Hearts, Bronze Star, Presidential Unit Citation, European Theater Medal w/ 3 Clusters

Honored By: Lyne Family

Francis Lyne is one of those rare humans who has fought in three wars. He defended the United States in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. And, in doing so, was wounded five times and received five Purple Hearts. He was a “career NCO” who gave all he could.

Francis volunteered for service in April of 1944 and went to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, for induction. He then went to Fort Blanding, Florida, was trained in communications, and then went to Fort Meade, Maryland, and sent to Europe on the Queen Elizabeth (converted to troop ship with 21,000 troops).They suffered torpedo damage, and received eight hours of sleep in tiered, fold-down cots. They went to Glasgow and into a tent city after which they were sent in “box cars” to Le Havre, France. Assigned to the “Timber Timberwolves,” they did most of their fighting at night. He encountered the Germans at Aachen, the last battle for the Roer River. That became the flank force for the Battle of the Bulge. In an attempt to take one hill, he was pinned down and was lying back with a friend. An artillery shot hit a tree and exploded, injuring his friend. Francis was in many more battles in World War II, and during those, he received: 4 Purple Hearts, Bronze Star, Presidential Unit Citation, European Theater Medal w/ 3 Clusters.

He was then sent to Korea and later to Vietnam where he was wounded again by shrapnel in his foot from a rocket, making that the 5th Purple Heart.