On September 14, 1944, the 319th Infantry was assigned to drive out 200 German troops from a heavily secured position near the small town of Pompey, France, approximately twelve kilometers north of the city of Nancy. On that day, he received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery and was subsequently promoted to first lieutenant. His Medal of Honor citation mentions that Lloyd “leaped to his feet and led his men on a run into the raking fire of the enemy’s position, shouting encouragement to them. He jumped into the first enemy machine gun position, knocked out the gunner with his fist, dropped a grenade, and jumped out before it exploded.” As he pressed on, he “personally destroyed 5 machine guns and many of the enemy and by his daring leadership and conspicuous bravery inspired his men to overrun the enemy positions and accomplish the objective in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.”
When some citizens of Mississippi County hear the name Edgar Harold Lloyd, they swell with pride. His rise from farmer to World War II hero is an example of courage in the face of adversity. Before he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and the Purple Heart, Edgar was a small-town, country boy from Yarbro, Arkansas.
Born on February 28, 1922, he was the son of Edgar Bentley Lloyd and Lillian Lindley Lloyd. He graduated Blytheville High School in 1939 and went to college at University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. As a Razorback, he was president of the Associated Students and active in other campus activities. He was captain of Company F of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corp infantry unit. In April 1943, Edgar was inducted into the Army. He graduated with a bachelor’s in agronomy on June 7, 1943. Later, he attended Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia. On November 9, 1943, Edgar commissioned as a second lieutenant. After training at several posts, he served overseas as part of General C. Patton’s Third Army. He was a rifle platoon leader of Company E, 319th Infantry, Eightieth Division.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt was scheduled to award him the Medal of Honor, on November 16, 1944, but Lloyd was killed in action by enemy sniper fire, near Limey, France. He is buried on the Mississippi County Courthouse lawn in Blytheville, adjacent to a monument honoring all of the Mississippi County service men killed in both world wars. His family gave his Medal of Honor to the county judge, and it is kept in the judge’s office in the courthouse.
Why I Serve Mississippi County: Janice Currie, County Clerk
“Twenty-three years ago, I took a leap of faith to work in the County Clerk’s office. I didn’t know if becoming a public servant was the right decision for me. After all of my years with Mississippi County, I’m still very glad I took that
