Maurice Britt
Maurice Britt | |
---|---|
11th Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas | |
In office January 10, 1967 – January 12, 1971 | |
Governor | Winthrop Rockefeller |
Preceded by | Nathan Green Gordon |
Succeeded by | Bob C. Riley |
Personal details | |
Born | Maurice Lee Britt June 29, 1919 Captain |
Unit | Company L, 3rd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Awards | Medal of Honor Distinguished Service Cross Silver Star Bronze Star Purple Heart (4) Army Commendation Medal Presidential Unit Citation Combat Infantryman Badge British Military Cross Italian Military Medal for Valor |
Maurice Lee "Footsie" Britt (June 29, 1919 – November 26, 1995) was an American military officer, businessman, and politician. He played professional
Britt served as the 11th
Early life
He was born Maurice Britt in Carlise in Lonoke County in central Arkansas, the son of Maurice Lee and Virgie Britt.[1] His family moved from Carlisle to nearby Lonoke when he was a boy. He received the nickname "Footsie" after winning a pair of shoes at a local fair as an adolescent; he had size-thirteen feet. He graduated as the valedictorian of Lonoke High School in 1937 and entered the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, where he was supported by an athletic scholarship in both football and basketball. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism and an Army Reserve commission as a Second Lieutenant of Infantry through Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps upon graduation in 1941. He was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity.
Professional football
Britt was selected in the 13th round of the 1941 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions, who used the 115th overall pick of the draft to take him. The 6'4" end signed a contract with the Lions and saw action in nine games during the 1941 season coming off the bench, scoring one league touchdown on a 45-yard passing play.[2] He was unable to complete the season due to the outbreak of World War II.
World War II
US Army
Britt entered active duty in December 1941 as a
- North Africa
On November 8, 1942, he was a platoon leader in Company L when the 3rd Infantry Division and two other U.S. Army divisions landed during the invasion of
By November 11, the 30th Infantry and the 3rd Division had secured Casablanca. In January 1943, the 3rd Battalion, 30th Infantry were assigned to personal guard duty for
- Italy
Britt continued to serve as a platoon leader during the amphibious invasion of
On September 19, 1943, Britt participated in the amphibious landings in
By early October 1943, the whole of southern Italy was in Allied hands, and the Allied armies faced the
He was part of the initial invasion at
Britt directed mortar and artillery fire from close proximity over the next day, contributing to the destruction of 25 German machine gun positions.[6] Britt was subsequently awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism for his actions on January 22 and 23 at the Anzio beachhead near Latina.[8]
Britt's own war in Europe came to an abrupt end at this time, however. A German tank got into range of Britt's command post, a stone farmhouse.[6] The shell it fired passed through three walls, blowing off Britt's right arm at the elbow, fracturing a leg, and perforating his back in 47 places.[6] "I sure was lucky," Britt noted shortly thereafter. "If I'd been standing a little further over that shell would have killed me."[6]
In February 1944, he was evacuated to the United States for medical treatment at Lawson General Hospital in
Maurice Britt became the first recipient of the top four combat decorations for valor awarded to an infantryman by the US Army during World War II.
Military awards and decorations
Britt's awards and decorations include:[10]
Combat Infantryman Badge | ||
Medal of Honor | Distinguished Service Cross | Silver Star |
Valor device
|
oak leaf clusters
|
Army Commendation Medal |
American Defense Service Medal | American Campaign Medal | campaign stars
|
World War II Victory Medal | Military Cross (United Kingdom) |
Medal of Military Valor (Italy) |
Army Presidential Unit Citation |
Medal of Honor
Britt's Medal of Honor Citation:[11]
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Disdaining enemy
, Lt. Britt inspired and led a handful of his men in repelling a bitter counterattack by approximately 100 Germans against his company positions north of Mignano, Italy, the morning of 10 November 1943. During the intense fire fight, Lt. Britt's canteen and field glasses were shattered; a bullet pierced his side; his chest, face, and hands were covered with grenade wounds. Despite his wounds, for which he refused to accept medical attention until ordered to do so by his battalion commander following the battle, he personally killed 5 and wounded an unknown number of Germans, wiped out one enemy machinegun crew, fired 5 clips of carbine and an undetermined amount of M1 rifle ammunition, and threw 32 fragmentation grenades. His bold, aggressive actions, utterly disregarding superior enemy numbers, resulted in capture of 4 Germans, 2 of them wounded, and enabled several captured Americans to escape. Lt. Britt's undaunted courage and prowess in arms were largely responsible for repulsing a German counterattack which, if successful, would have isolated his battalion and destroyed his company.
Postwar
After the war, he briefly attended the
In 1966, he was elected lieutenant governor, when the incumbent
After leaving office, Britt was appointed by the Richard Nixon administration as district director of the Small Business Administration. He served in that capacity from 1971 to 1985.
In 1986, Britt came out of political retirement to seek the Republican
Britt was a leader in civic affairs too. He was past state chairman of the Crippled Children's Hospital, Easter Seals, and the Federal Executive Association. He was a member of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and received the National Collegiate Athletic Association Sports Achievement Award.
Death
Britt died of heart failure in the John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital in Little Rock. He was one of two lieutenant governors in state history to lie in state in the State Capitol Rotunda, the other being Winthrop Paul Rockefeller, the son of Governor Winthrop Rockefeller. The coffin was open, and Britt's military coat hung from the back of his favorite rocking chair, which was placed next to the body. His medals and a military cap were placed on a nearby table. An Army Sergeant stood at the head of the casket throughout the six hours that Britt lay in state.
Services were held in the Calvary
Family
Britt had three daughters, Andrea Schafer and Nancy McDurmont, both of Lonoke, and Patricia Anne Britt of Falls Church, Virginia; two sons, Maurice Lee Britt, III (born c. 1950), and his wife, Dee Britt, of Royal, Arkansas, and Timothy Watson Britt (born c. 1955) of Little Rock; one brother, B. A. Britt (born c. 1925) of Carlisle; twelve grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. Britt's wife died shortly before his own death. Britt was a distant cousin of Henry M. Britt of Hot Springs, the 1960 Republican gubernatorial nominee against Orval Faubus. He was also a cousin of internationally known actress Dorothy Lamour. [4]
Personal honors
- Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame (1972)[14]
- Captain Maurice L. Britt United States Army Reserve Center, North Little Rock, Arkansas
See also
Notes
- ^ Ellen E. Withers (October 2, 2020). Footsie" Britt (1919–1995).
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ignored (help) - ^ "Maurice Britt," Pro Football Reference, https://www.pro-football-reference.com/
- ^ [1] ARMY Magazine, Association of the United States Army, May 2008, "My Favorite Lion, Maurice Britt", By Lt. Col. Jack Mason, p. 72
- ^ a b [2] ARMY Magazine, May 2008, p. 73.
- ^ [3] ARMY Magazine, May 2008, p.73&74. Retrieved January 16, 2014,
- ^ a b c d e f J.G. Taylor Spink et al. (eds.), "Football in World War II," Football Rule and Record Book, 1945. St. Louis, MO: Charles C. Spink and Son, 1945; p. 5.
- ^ [4] ARMY Magazine, May 2008. p. 74&75.
- ^ [5] ARMY Magazine, May 2008, p. 75. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
- ^ [6] ARMY Magazine, May 2008, p. 76
- ^ "Veteran Tributes". www.veterantributes.org. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
- ^ "CMOHS.org - Captain BRITT, MAURICE L., U.S. Army". www.cmohs.org. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
- ^ Arkansas Lieutenant Governor, State of Arkansas.
- ^ Cathy Kunzinger Urwin, Agenda for Reform: Winthrop Rockefeller as Governor of Arkansas, 1967-71 (Fayetteville, Arkansas: University of Arkansas Press, 1991), p. 174
- ^ [7] Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, Inductees
References
- Rachel O'Neal, "Arkansans pay their respects to Britt, ex-lieutenant governor", Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, November 29, 1995
- Britt obituary information, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, November 29, 1995
- "Encyclopedia of Arkansas". Retrieved October 4, 2010.