 |
John Anthony Dyer was born on May 16, 1924, in Larchmont, New York, to Helena Sweeney, age 28, and John Edward Dyer, age 35. He had two sisters Eileen and Catherine. In Rye his family lived at 104 Midland Ave. He was a graduate of Bronxville High School, Syracuse University and New York University Graduate School of Business.
Tony enlisted and served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He served with the 85th Infantry Regiment of the highly decorated 10th Mountain Division in Italy from 1943 to 1946.
He was a member of The New York Stock Exchange, the Buttonwood Club of the NYSE and the Larchmont Yacht Club. Tony was a past captain of the Hose Company of the Larchmont Fire Department, a member and former chair of the Zoning Board of Appeals. He was also a Knight of Malta and a Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus.
John A. (Tony) Dyer died May 2, 2013 following a short illness.
Tony was predeceased by his wife, Peggy, of 52 years and survived by his children Sharon L. Dyer, Jane L. Dyer and John A. Dyer, Jr. (Nancy) and his grandchildren John (III) and Michael Dyer.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at St. Augustine's Church on Monday May 6, 2013. Interment followed at Gate of Heaven Cemetery.
Rye Men in Mountain Division Making War History in Italy
A number of Rye men are in the U. S. 10th Mountain Division ski troops which has been making war history in Italy this past week. The Division repulsed a strong German counterattack in the Bologna area. Some of the Rye men who have been trained with this outfit, are believed to be in this latest sortie. They include Captain Lawrence Rainsford in the Medical unit, son of Dr. and Mns. Lawrenee Rainsford, Blind Brook Lodge; Major John Gundy, Division Medical Inspector, whose wife lives on Greenleaf Street; Pfc. Gordon Ryan, son of Mr. and Mrs. Gerard Ryan, Ridgewood Drive; Pfc.
John A. Tony Dyer, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Dyer, Midland Avenue; T-4 Robert Langeloh, son of Mr. and Mm. Edward J. Langeloh, Winthrop Street; Pfc. Robert Lathrop. son of Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Lathrop, Blind Brook Lodge; Pfc. David Close, son of Mrs. Stuart Close and the late Mr. Close, formerly of Rye; Major Louis Thorne, psychiatri-st in the Medical unit, son of Samuel Thorne. Post Road; Pfc. Robert Ritz, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Ritz, Apawamis Avenue. 
These men have undergone a rigorous, specialized training program before going overseas. The curriculum of the mountain infantry is to dig into a snow bank and wait; take long marches through a cutting wind at a temperature well below zero; eat, sleep, work and live in the bitterness of the cold and wet. They have to be mule packers, rock climbers and mountaineers in general, because the caissons dont go rolling along in the mountains. All the way, along broken trails cr through soft, knee-deep snow, artillery equipment has to be handlugged or mule-packed. The snow training is not restricted to the infantry and artillery, but is equally a vital part of the training of the Medics, the Signal Corps and the Engineers. A release from the Army was broadcast over Station WABC on Sunday morning revealing the activities of the Division, which had been cloaked in secrecy until that time. It stated, This morning the American troops that have been operating on Mount Belvedere have been publicly named the 10th Mountain Division. This is the unit of soldiers for mountain fighting that trained for so long at Camp Hale in the Rocky Mountains near Denver. The first element went into the line in the Appennine Mountains on January 9 and all the Division was committed before the end of the month. For several weeks, they showed their stuff in long range patrolling deep into the enemy lines, some of them getting a chance to use their -skiis, but if the public has visions of thousands of white-clad figures racing downhill with tommy guns rattling, they will be disillusioned. Most of the snow has gone and the most characteristic performance by these boys is taking loads that would break lesser mens backs, going up steep trails where even the mules refuse to go. The 10th Mountain Division got the once over from their veteran neighbors the Brazilian troops who have been here for a long time. The verdict was that it showed the snappiest saluting imaginable straight out of the book but the 10th looked like a real fighting outfit, just the same, and now they have proved it. The commander is Major General G. P. Hayes, who won the medal of honor in the last war and fought at Normandy in this war.
PAGE EIGHT THE RYE CHRONICLE Friday, March 2, 1945
|
|
|