PFC Frank Minnick

courtesy of Jan Robinson

PFC Frank Minnick was born 13 Feb 1908 in New Market, Virginia.  He was the 5th of 7 children born to Martin Christian and Melvina Virginia (Good) Minnick. His father worked at odd jobs, as farm labor and as a sawyer before dying of a paralyzing stroke in mid-January 1929. Before a year had passed Frank was sent to Pennsylvania to live with family there. By 1940 he had returned to Virginia working in Fairfax for W. S. Sisler.

Frank was drafted in May 1941. According to the system in place at the time he was most likely assigned to the 116th Infantry, then at Fort Meade, Maryland. Once there he was then assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company 1st Battalion 116th Infantry and eventually earned the MOS of transportation NCO. He went with the unit to Camp Blanding, Florida and then to England where he participated in training for the amphibious landing that would take place on Omaha Beach. He survived the landing and served until killed in action on 8 Aug 1944.

PFC Minnick was repatriated and was re-interred in Saint Matthews Cemetery in Winchester, Virginia.

Brother Herbert Leon Minnick served in France with the U.S. Army 1918-1919. PFC George William Minnick was killed in action on 22 Nov 1944 while assigned to F Company 411th Infantry.