Leading the 77th: Clyde May's Time Spent in World War II
On December 8, 1941, one day removed from the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan. This move officially entered the United States into World War II.
Over 16 million American heroes fought in this second World War. Among them was Sgt. Lewis Clyde May.
Clyde officially registered for duty on December 2, 1942. He returned home from basic training in April of 1943 and married Mary Cynthia Petty. Later that fall, he was shipped overseas and left Mary C. behind, who had recently become pregnant. He served in the Southwest Pacific Theatre with the U.S. Army's 77th Infantry Division. The 77th Infantry is known as the "Statue of Liberty Division." They are probably best remembered as the unit that landed on Okinawa to relieve the 96th Division.
According to his Separation Qualification Record, Clyde directed the activities of a 12 man rifle squad and led them into combat. He fired arms to destroy enemy personnel and to knock out enemy position. Lastly, Clyde directed patrol activities in advance of the unit to secure information on strength and possible intentions of enemy forces.
For over two years, Clyde fought bravely alongside his unit. He participated in the amphibious assault on Guam and the securing of Kerama Retto and Keise Shima.
In April of 1945 the Statue of Liberty Division landed on Ie Shima, which is a part of the Ryukyu Islands. This was the last stop before moving to Okinawa. The division captured the airfield on Ie Shima but not without conflict. Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Ernie Pyle was one of the many people that lost his life here.
Clyde managed to survive but not without injury. He was shot in both feet and was unable to continue fighting. His injury was something that bothered him off and on for the rest of life, but he did make a full recovery.
He was awarded both the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart because of the sacrifices he made for his country.
Clyde returned home to Bullock County, Alabama to recover from his injuries and to meet his first born child for the very first time. Being home with his family was the best medicine to cure all that he endured while fighting for his country's freedom overseas.
It was not long after he returned from the war that he decided that he was going to provide the best possible life for his family despite living in rural America. That decision cultivated and grew into him arguably becoming one of the best moonshiners in the southeast.
Clyde was a man of hard work and perseverance. Whether it was fighting for his country or making the best whiskey, Clyde gave his all into everything he did. This dedication is a code that Clyde May's Whiskey continues to uphold.
Many reflect on Clyde's life and whiskey brand and see a man who partially lived the American dream. However, he would have never looked at his accomplishments this way. He saw his hard work as a necessity to build a better life for those that he cared about. Simply put, the backbone of this country is made up of innovators that have the same demeanor as Clyde.
Clyde May's Whiskey works tirelessly to follow the same standards its founder set forth because anything less would be unacceptable.
77th Infantry Division captures one of the Ryukyu Islands (Video courtesy of CriticalPast.com).
Sources:
Eisenhower.archives.gov
History.com