Jessie Clifford Minnis was born in Meigs County, Tennessee, the son of Robert Minnis and Jane Ann Lawson. Husband of Naomi Gussie Guinn and father of Jessie Clifford Minnis Jr.
He was killed when five companies of the 45th Division’s 157 regiment managed to penetrate German defensive positions and were cut off by the elite 6th SS Mountain Division. After three days with food running low and small arms growing short the remaining soldiers formed a small defensive perimeter, placing the wounded in foxholes so they could be cared for by those still fighting. By the 20th the end was near and with only 125 a able-bodied soldiers left, they attempted to infiltrate out. No one wanted to surrender to the SS after the news of the Malmedy Massacre in the Ardennes had spread. But in the end only two men reached Allied lines. Casualties for the month were 32 KIA, 24 WIA, 472 MIA and 70 known prisoners.
He is memorialized at the Epinal American Cemetery, Epinal (Vosges), France
- Rank: Private First Class
- Date of birth: 24 April 1917
- Date of death: 17 January 1945
- County: Bradley
- Hometown: Cleveland
- Service Branch: Army/Army Air Forces
- Division/Assignment: 157th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division
- Theater: Europe
- Conflict: World War II
- Awards: Bronze Star, Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster
- Burial/Memorial Location: Epinal American Cemetery, Epinal (Vosges), France
- Location In Memorial: Pillar VII, Top Panel
- Contact us to sponsor Jessie C. Minnis Sr.
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