World War II United States Army Officer, US Congressman. War hero who was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, and the Bronze Star during World War II, and went on to be elected to the South Carolina state legislature and to become one of the youngest members to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives at the age of 28. A 1941 Wofford College graduate served briefly as the editor of Orangeburg's The Times and Democrat, which his grandfather founded, before enlisting in the Army during World War II. Life magazine recognized him as the leader of "The Incredible Patrol," an operation behind German lines in which he led six soldiers on a patrol in two rubber dinghies across the Rhine River near Renkum, Netherlands on October 29, 1944. Capturing 32 German soldiers and ferrying them back across the river earned Sims a Distinguished Service Cross. Hailed as a hero upon his return to South Carolina, he was elected to the South Carolina House for a single, two-year term in 1946. Then, a Democrat, he was elected the U.S. Representative from South Carolina 2nd District, for a single term 1949 to 1951, the youngest member of the House. He practiced law for 20 years and went into real estate and banking, serving as board chairman and chief executive officer of Orangeburg National Bank and of Community Bankshares.
World War II United States Army Officer, US Congressman. War hero who was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, and the Bronze Star during World War II, and went on to be elected to the South Carolina state legislature and to become one of the youngest members to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives at the age of 28. A 1941 Wofford College graduate served briefly as the editor of Orangeburg's The Times and Democrat, which his grandfather founded, before enlisting in the Army during World War II. Life magazine recognized him as the leader of "The Incredible Patrol," an operation behind German lines in which he led six soldiers on a patrol in two rubber dinghies across the Rhine River near Renkum, Netherlands on October 29, 1944. Capturing 32 German soldiers and ferrying them back across the river earned Sims a Distinguished Service Cross. Hailed as a hero upon his return to South Carolina, he was elected to the South Carolina House for a single, two-year term in 1946. Then, a Democrat, he was elected the U.S. Representative from South Carolina 2nd District, for a single term 1949 to 1951, the youngest member of the House. He practiced law for 20 years and went into real estate and banking, serving as board chairman and chief executive officer of Orangeburg National Bank and of Community Bankshares.
Bio by: Fred Beisser
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