Thayer Monroe

Second Lieutenant Thayer Monroe (b. c 1920, d. 1942) was a cadet at West Point when the Second Great War began. On graduation in 1942 Monroe was assigned a platoon in Falmouth, Virginia|Virginia as part of General Daniel MacArthur's drive on Richmond. His senior sergeant (and "babysitter") was 1st Sgt. Chester Martin.

Although Monroe's naive enthusiasm grated on Martin and the other non-coms, no one said anything because it did hearten the men. However, when Monroe said that they ought to be in Richmond a week after breaking through at Fredericksburg, Martin did delicately suggest that he not make promises he wouldn't be able to keep.

Martin's experience proved accurate as the initial U.S. artillery bombardment failed to suppress Confederate counter-fire sufficiently to allow the Army Engineers to construct the pontoon bridges required to cross the Rappahannock River. After a day's effort, U.S. forces withdrew from Confederate artillery range so General MacArthur could plan another approach.