US Army Tech4 Frank James Pendleton Jr. was born in Bagdad, Florida on December 3, 1922, the son of Frank James Pendleton Sr. (1885-1955) and Joella Bray (1889-1979). His parents were married in Santa Rosa County on August 17, 1905, and settled in Bagdad to raise their family. Frank Sr. followed his father into the timber business and went to work for the Bagdad Land & Lumber Company first as a laborer then two decades later as a "log scaler."
Frank Jr.'s maternal grandfather was Jarrett Franklin Bray (1844-1900), a Confederate private who enlisted in April 1862 in Company "G" of the 1st Florida Infantry Regiment. His regiment would fight in some of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. Such engagements as Battle of Santa Rosa Island, Shiloh, Corinth, Perryville, Stones River, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, Atlanta, Resaca, Marietta, Franklin, Nashville, Carolina Campaign, and would surrender Bentonville. He was wounded during the war with the bullet entering below his right elbow and traveling upwards rendering his right arm useless. He filed for his Confederate Pension that was approved on December 16, 1899, in the amount of $72.00 per year. Following his death his widow Amanda (1845-1943) applied for her Widow's Pension that was approved for the amount of $480.00 per year.
Frank Jr. completed one year of high school and left school to work as a painter. He would enlist in the US Army on August 3, 1940, at Ft. Barrancas and after basic training was assigned to the 82nd Armored Reconnaissance Battalion attached to the 2nd Armored Division. These battalions were considered the "eyes and ears" of the division much like the old cavalry were in earlier years. During WWII they mainly used the M-8 armored car because of its speed at 56-mph, its armor for small arms fire, and its 37-mm gun. They would scout ahead of the division's tanks that were much slower and more cumbersome.
Frank went to Africa with the 82nd as part of the first landing in force in Tunisia, North Africa. They would also take part in the landing near Gela, Sicily on July 11, 1943. There, the 82nd Armored Reconnaissance battalion played a big role in the capture of Butera. Then on June 9, 1944, three days after the initial landing, the Battalion landed on Omaha Beach and pushed through to the Cherbourg peninsula to secure the bridge across the Seine River. On August 6, the battalion turned east, and led the 2nd Armored Division on their epic dash across France. On August 16, the Battalion linked up with the 9th US Army near Mortain, France. Near the French town of Dreux, Frank's column came under fire from German artillery fire. Tech Sergeant Pendleton was killed in action during this exchange of gunfire.
His family was notified of his death as his remains were buried in a temporary military cemetery. Per the family's wishes he was disinterred in 1949 and sent home to Bagdad at no expense to the family. His remains were transported aboard the US Army Transport "SS Barney Kirschbaum" in March 1949 and buried in the Bagdad Cemetery where he rests today.
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