"His father, Sidney Vincent Bingham Sr. was a member of the USMA Class of
1912, His grandfather, Gonzalez S. Bingham, received a direct
commission in 1883. His great-grandfather, Judson David Bingham, was a
member of the USMA Class of 1854. He grew up at Fort Riley, Fort Meade
and West Point. He entered West Point with the class of 1937, but
graduated with the class of 1940. At graduation, he received his
commission in the Infantry-Air Corps. After a brief attempt at pilot
training, he joined the 2nd Division at Fort Sam Houston. Soon after
graduation he met Rosemary Chapman in Dallas. They were married on April
6, 1941 in Dallas. They were the parents of three daughters. After a
year with the 4th Armored Division, he joined the G3 Section of ETOUSA,
England in April 1943. He was soon sent as an observer with the 3rd
Division during the invasion and campaign in Sicily, from June to August
1932.
In September 1943, he joined the 29th Division in England and
several months later assumed command of a battalion in the 116th
Infantry. He led the unit into Normandy on D-Day. His leadership earned
him the Distinguished Service Cross. He was wounded in August and
hospitalized five weeks, but he returned to the Division and assumed
command of the 116th in December, leading his regiment until the
Division was deactivated in December 1945. After the war, he was
assigned to the Army Field Forces, the Pentagon, National War College,
the CIA, Hawaii, Fort Polk, Korea, Fort Bragg and twice in Vietnam. In
1970 he retired with his wife to Aspen, Colorado. For a short time, he
served as general manager of the Snowmass Resort. He became involved in
planning for a city transportation system which involved designing
routes, lobbying the City Council and searching for vehicles. He served
as secretary and on the Board of Directors for the Aspen Camp School for
the Deaf. In 1972 he started the Aspen Retired Senior Volunteer
Program. He became chair for the Colorado Board of Nursing Home
examiners, served as Colorado’s representative to the White House
Conference on Aging, president of the board of directors of the Pitkin
County Community Health Services and was appointed by the governor to be
commissioner-at-large on aging for the state."
COL Bingham received the Distinguished Service Cross for actions on 6 Jun 1944 while serving as Commander, 1st Battalion 116th Infantry Regiment. The citation reads as follows:
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Major (Infantry) Sidney Vincent Bingham, Jr. (ASN: 0-23267), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division, in action against enemy forces on 6 June 1944, at Normandy, France. When his battalion was pinned down on the beach by the heavy and intense enemy fire, Major Bingham gathered together five of his men and personally led them across the beach and up a cliff in an attempt to seek out an enemy machine gun that had been inflicting heavy casualties on his unit. Though unable to reach the machine gun, he was, nevertheless, able to discover its location. He returned to the fire-swept beach and organized a flank and rear attach which succeeded in taking the enemy position, thereby permitting his unit to advance. Major Bingham's superior leadership, personal bravery and zealous devotion to duty exemplify the highest traditions of the military forces of the United States and reflect great credit upon himself, the 29th Infantry Division, and the United States Army.
COL Bingham died 22 Aug 1993 in Aspen, Colorado and he was cremated.
