Byron Alfred Dary

Who is Byron Alfred Dary?

Byron Alfred Dary served in the United States Navy during World War II. He was awarded the Silver Star for his actions during the Normandy landings and was later posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his actions as a crew member from the USS Sanborn during the Battle of Iwo Jima.

His Silver Star citation reads:

The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Pharmacist's Mate Third Class Byron Alfred Dary, United States Naval Reserve, for gallantry in action while attached to Platoon AL of the 6th Naval Beach Battalion at the time of the Normandy landings. The Operations Plan called for the landing of this Battalion on Fox Green Beach, Omaha Sector, Normandy France, on "D-Day", 6 June 1944. Pharmacist's Mate Third Class Dary and Lieutenant, Junior Grade, F. Ramsey, USNR, Medical Officer of Platoon AL, upon arrival on Dog White Beach, voluntarily turned to immediately assisting with first aid treatment of the wounded then on Dog White Beach. Not long after their arrival, while engaged in administering first aid to a wounded soldier lying in the vicinity of a burning half-track, Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Ramsey was himself seriously wounded by flying fragment of metal when the vehicle exploded. The soldier to whom Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Ramsey was giving aid was killed outright by this same explosion. Pharmacist's Mate Third Class Dary, who was in a position to observe this tragedy, without regard to his own safety, went immediately to the aid of his officer, administered first aid on the spot, dragged the officer to a nearby hole for safety, and arranged for the officer's evacuation. After seeing that all help possible had been rendered his doctor, Pharmacist's Mate Third Class Dary left the fox hole several times to render first aid to various other wounded men in his vicinity. Not long after the episode related above, Pharmacist's Mate Third Class Dary was informed that an Army Colonel was lying wounded on the shore side of a nearby stone retaining wall. The only access to the stricken Colonel was through an opening in the wall which was covered by German machine gun and sniper fire. Fully aware that this situation existed and realizing fully the hazards involved, Pharmacist's Mate Third Class Dary made three separate trips through this opening to administer first aid to the Colonel. While the Colonel died shortly after, Pharmacist's Mate Third Class Dary gave all aid possible to the dying man under the circumstances. It should be reiterated that all these activities, covering several hours, were undertaken by Pharmacist's Mate Third Class Dary without orders and wholly upon his own initiative.