Frederick, Robert

Major General Robert Tryon Frederick was a senior United States Army officer. During World War II, he commanded the 1st Special Service Force nicknamed the "Devil's Brigade", and the 1st Allied Airborne Task Force, an ad hoc division-sized airborne formation, commanding the task force as a Brigadier General during Operation Dragoon. As a Major general at 37 years old from December 3, 1944, until September 1945 he commanded the 45th Infantry Division during the Western Allied invasion of Germany and the Allied-occupied Germany that followed. He was twice awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and was a recipient of a remarkable eight Purple Hearts received from combat during World War II.