Jimmie Dyess
THE ENDURING LEGACY OF JIMMIE DYESS
By Perry M. Smith
He was a man of the Deep South yet he was proudly and unambiguously American. Approachable and open hearted, he gave those around him a sense of comfort and well-being. Whenever he was involved in any activity, others wanted to join in. If he was "doing it", whatever "it" was, "it" must be something worthwhile or fun or uplifting or adventurous. People, even those who had known him for a short time, knew that if they were with him they would be safe and well taken care of. Even as a young man he exuded that sense of quiet competence and confidence which spoke volumes about his maturity and sense of purpose.
Jimmie Dyess had fine individual skills, especially as a world class marksman, yet he was fundamentally a team person and a team player. He loved sports and played them with great energy. Not a great athlete, yet he excelled in sports through sheer determination, the willingness to work very hard in practice, an ability to ignore pain and a total commitment to his team. He had a keen sense for what was right and what was wrong. People knew where he stood on issues-he left no doubt. He was, in a real sense, larger than life. He lived his life to the fullest and, like young Theodore Roosevelt or Winston Churchill, was a man of action who was impossible to ignore.
There are very few who have the inborn ability to motivate and inspire people to do their very best to achieve a worthy goal, despite the obstacles, dangers, pain or exhaustion. Some would call it innate leadership; others might label it charisma, charm, personality or magnetism. Whatever it was, he had it in spades. He perfected these skills through the years so that when he led eight hundred men into combat, he was the epitome of a combat leader.
Both Augusta and North Augusta can lay claim this extraordinary man. Jimmie Dyess lived with his family in North Augusta from 1909 until he left to attend Clemson in 1927. He attended Richmond Academy and was especially active as a leader in the corps of cadets. An Eagle Scout, he learned many of the skills that would later serve him so well.
Dyess was a nineteen year old college student on summer vacation when he earned the Carnegie Medal. After graduating from Clemson in 1931, he lived in Augusta until he was called to active duty in the Marine Corps in 1940. He earned the Medal of Honor in combat in February, 1944. Marine Lieutenant Colonel A J Dyess was killed on the last day of combat on the Japanese island of Roi Namur in the Marshall Islands.
In all of world history, Andrew Carnegie was the second wealthiest person (John D Rockefeller is 1st, Queen Elizabeth I is 15th , Bill Gates is 37th ). Carnegie spent the last 18 years of his life giving his money away (he gave away, to good causes, 96% of his wealth). Of all his foundations, the one he was most proud of was the Carnegie Heroes Fund Commission. The purpose of this commission is to honor those civilians who accomplished an act of extraordinary courage as they attempted to save the life of someone in great danger. Jimmie Dyess earned his Carnegie Medal as a result of an action he took off the shores of Sullivan’s island in 1928. One woman was drowning and another who courageously swam out to save her, was not being successful and was in grave danger of drowning as well. The storm was huge, yet Dyess, with no help from anyone, swam far out to sea in the heavy storm and rescued both women.
Sixteen years later, Lieutenant Colonel Dyess, US Marine Corps, earned the Medal of Honor. Soon after landing on the Japanese island of Roi Namur in the Marshall Islands, Dyess moved towards the area of heaviest fighting. Soon he realized that there were Marines caught beyond enemy lines and that they were under heavy pressure. He also realized that, with darkness setting in, there was not much time left if these Marines were to be rescued. That these Marines were not from his own battalion made no difference to Dyess. Marines were in serious trouble and he knew instinctively that something had to be done, and done quickly, to help them. He organized a small rescue force, and charged forward. By using fire and maneuver, Dyess and his rescue party were able to fight through the enemy lines, provide suppressing fire and reach the stranded Marines. There is no question that Dyess saved the lives of these stranded Marines–the Japanese would take no prisoners in the battle for Roi Namur. The rescue was completed just as total darkness engulfed the battered island. The next day he was leading his men against the last Japanese pillbox, when he was shot and killed.
In all of American history, there have been many heroes but only one, Jimmie Dyess of Augusta, Georgia, earned America’s two highest awards for heroism. It is very unlikely that, in the future, anyone will earn both awards.
Major General Perry M Smith US Air Force (retired) is the president of the board of trustees of the Augusta Museum of History. He also serves as the Secretary of the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation. He is married to Conner Dyess Smith, Jimmie Dyess’s only child. Connor was eight years old when her father was killed.