World War II Honoree

Richard R. 'Dick' Olsen

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Enumclaw, Washington

Honored By

Flora Miller & LTC Charles T. Borg, USA-Ret.

JOINED ARMY FEBRUARY 21, 1941 AT FORT LEWIS, WASHINGTON. MACHINE GUNNER WITH COMPANY B, 15TH INFANTRY REGIMENT, 3RD INFANTRY DIVISION. SAW FIRST ACTION AT INVASION OF NORTH AFRICA (OPERATION TORCH), LANDING AT FEDALA ON NOVEMBER 8, 1942 TO CAPTURE CASABLANCA IN FRENCH MOROCCO. ON JULY 10, 1943 THE INVASION OF SICILY (OPERATION HUSKY) BEGAN UNDER GENERAL GEORGE PATTON. FOUGHT TO PALERMO, TAKING HEAVY CASUALTIES, AND TO THE CITY OF MESSINA TO CONCLUDE THE SICILY OPERATION. ON SEPTEMBER 18, 1943, LANDED AT SALERNO ITALY AND IN HEAVY FIGHTING DROVE ACROSS THE VOLTURNO RIVER AND TO CASSINO. A STALEMATE DEVELOPED IN THE ALLIED DRIVE TO ROME AND ON JANUARY 22, 1944, THEY HIT THE BEACHES AT ANZIO WHERE THEY MAINTAINED A FOUR MONTH TOEHOLD AGAINST FURIOUS GERMAN COUNTERATTACKS. ON FEBRUARY 29, FOUGHT OFF AN ATTACK BY THREE GERMAN DIVISIONS. WOUNDED BY GERMAN ARTILLERY, AND EVACUATED TO NORTH AFRICA FOR RECOVERY. REJOINED COMPANY B, STILL AT ANZIO. IN MAY 1944, BROKE OUT OF THE BEACHHEAD. TOOK ROME ON JUNE 6, 1944. ON AUGUST 15, 1944, SPEARHEADED LANDING AT ST. TROPEZ IN SOUTHERN FRANCE AND ADVANCED UP THE RHONE RIVER VALLEY, THROUGH THE VOSGES MOUNTAINS. REACHED THE RHINE RIVER AT STRASBOURG ON NOVEMBER 26TH. CLEARED THE COLMAR POCKET, A HEAVILY DEFENDED AREA ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE RHINE RIVER. WHILE COMMANDING THE WEAPONS PLATOON OF COMPANY B, TOOK PART IN THE DECISIVE ACTION THAT ALLOWED THE U.S. TO TAKE THE SIEGFRIED LINE AND CROSS THE RHINE RIVER ON MARCH 29, 1945. IN FIGHTING THESE BATTLES, WAS WOUNDED TWO MORE TIMES AND WAS EVACUATED TO THE U.S. IN MARCH, 1945. DISCHARGED AT FORT LEWIS, MAY 1, 1945. FOR TWO AND A HALF YEARS OF ALMOST CONTINUOUS COMBAT IN NORTH AFRICA, SICILY, ITALY, FRANCE AND GERMANY; WAS AWARDED COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE, PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION, BRONZE STAR MEDAL FOR VALOR, PURPLE HEART WITH 2 OAK LEAF CLUSTERS, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL WITH BRONZE STAR, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH BRONZE ARROWHEAD FOR 5 AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT LANDINGS AND 7 BRONZE BATTLE STARS. ALSO RECEIVED WWII VICTORY MEDAL, 5 OVERSEAS SERVICE BARS, FRENCH CROIX DE GUERRE WITH PALM AND FRENCH FOURRAGERE.