Walter D. Fetterly (1907–1987) was an American colonel and
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone.
Wh ...
Fetterly was born in Chicago to Mr. and Mrs. Charles L. Fetterly. He later moved to
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city (New Jersey), city in and the county seat, seat of government of Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.
Military career
Fetterly graduated from the
Pennsylvania Military College
Widener University is a private university in Chester, Pennsylvania. The university has three other campuses: two in Pennsylvania (Harrisburg and Exton) and one in Wilmington, Delaware.
Founded as The Bullock School for Boys in 1821, the school ...
in 1929, and was assigned to the 114th Infantry Regiment.
On February 15, 1945, Fetterly was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for "meritorious action in eastern France." His regiment, which had sustained heavy casualties, including one company losing all of its officers, was quickly reorganized by Fetterly and able to secure their objectives, successfully capturing the Bellevue and Brandelfingerhoff farms.
In April 1945, Fetterly was in charge of a task force consisting of the 2nd Battalion, 114th Regiment, 44th Infantry Division, that had been reinforced with armored cars and light tanks, whose objective was to liberate a
POW
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold prisoners of war ...
camp in
Stalag IX-B
Stalag IX-B (also known as Bad Orb-Wegscheide) was a German World War II German prisoner-of-war camps in World War II, prisoner-of-war camp located south-east of the town of Bad Orb in Hesse, Germany on the hill known as ''Wegscheideküppel''. The ...
,
Bad Orb
Bad Orb (; "Thermae on the Orb River") is a spa town in the Main-Kinzig-Kreis district of Hesse, Germany. It is situated east of Hanau between the forested hills of the Spessart. Bad Orb has a population of over 10,000. Its economy is dominate ...
, 60 kilometers (37 miles) behind enemy lines. The attack was a success, and the camp, which numbered 6,000 prisoners, of which 3,364 were American, was secured on April 4.
On May 19, 1950, 25-30 tons of TNT from an ammunition depot in South Amboy, New Jersey detonated. The governor declared the situation a
state of emergency
A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...
, and Fetterly, in command of the 114th Infantry Regiment of the United States National Guard, maintained order in the area by regulating traffic and defending post offices, banks, and other federal property. The National Guard was demobilized on May 22.
Retirement and death
After the war, Fetterly returned home, and was a member of the
Retired Officers Association
The Military Officers Association of America is a professional association of United States military officers. It is a nonprofit organization that advocates for a strong national defense, but is politically nonpartisan. The association support ...
,
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross (ARC), also known as the American National Red Cross, is a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. It is the desi ...
, and the New Brunswick Christ Episcopal Church, among others. Fetterly died in January 1987, in his winter home in
Dunedin, Florida
Dunedin is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The name comes from ''Dùn Èideann'', the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Dunedin is part of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metropolitan area and is ...