Name: Garrett M. Lee
Rank: Corporal
ASN: 37016021
Enlisted: November 4th 1941
Company: D
Unit: 32nd Armored Regiment
Date of Birth: 1916-01-08
Married: with Marcella Wise
Date of death: 1972-01-27
Digital Monument: http://www.36air-ad.com/names/serial/37016021
Lee Garrett was born january 8th 1916 in Missouri. He entered the United States Army on November 4, 1941, where he trained as a Sherman tank crewman in Company D, 32nd Armored Regiment, Combat Command A, 3rd Armored Division.
While on leave Lee met and married Marcella Wise, after a one week courtship, on November 22, 1942. They would not see each other again until 1945. They were married until his death in 1972.
His division left the U.S. in September, 1943 for England where training continued until June, 1944. The division landed on Omaha Beach on June 23rd and the 32nd entered combat on June 29th at Villers-Fossard, France.
Lee was promoted to corporal on October 13, 1944 at Busbach, Germany. The circumstances of that promotion are not known.
Lee was wounded during the Battle of the Bulge on January 15, 1945 and returned to duty February 13, 1945. He also suffered from the effects of frostbite the remainder of his life.
For his service he was awarded the Purple Heart (for the injuries on January 15th 1945, Good Conduct medal, four Overseas bars, American Defense Service medal (European – African – Middle Eastern Campaign metal) with Silver Star for (Normandy, northern France, Ardennes, Central Europe, Rhineland), the WWII Victory metal, Honorable Service lapel button, World War II and Army Occupation metal with Germany clasp, Expert and Sharpshooter badges, Belgium Fourragere, Jubilee of Liberty metal and Missouri WWII metal (from home state). His unit received the Presidential Unit Citation for breaching the Seigfried Line September 11-13th, 1944.
When the war ended on May 8, 1945, Lee and his unit were at the Elbe River in Dessau, Germany. After months of occupation duty he returned home September 27, 1945.
Group photo of Company D, 32nd regiment while in the US.
My father never spoke much about his service. I remember once after watching a movie about the war, I asked him if he was a hero. He said “No, the heroes didn’t come back.”
© 3d Armored Division Memorial Group (3ADMG) & Linda Watts (Daughter)