World War II Honoree

Clarence Madden Nation

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Haileyville, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER WITH THE 4TH INFANTRY 'IVY' DIVISION. TOOK PART IN THE D-DAY ASSAULT LANDINGS BY HIS DIVISION AT UTAH BEACH IN NORMANDY, FRANCE ON JUNE 6, 1944. HE MOVED THROUGH CHEST-DEEP WATER TO THE BEACH THROUGH A HAIL OF ENEMY FIRE, AND CHOKING SMOKE. AT THE WATER'S EDGE, HE TRIPPED OVER A DEAD SOLDIER AND PULLED THE BODY TO SHORE BEFORE ADVANCING. HE SAW MANY OF HIS FELLOW SOLDIERS FALL THAT DAY IN THAT PLACE. LATER, WAS PART OF A SUCCESSFUL SQUAD RAID ON A GERMAN COMMAND POST IN A TWO-STORY HOUSE, HE FIRED A RIFLE GRENADE FROM HIS WEAPON AT THE FLEEING GERMANS IN A VEHICLE. HE DESTROYED THE VEHICLE, KILLING THE ENEMY SOLDIERS. UNFORTUNATELY, IN THE ENGAGEMENT, TWO OF HIS FELLOW SOLDIERS WERE KILLED. HE AND THE OTHER 5 SURVIVING SOLDIERS ON THE RAID WERE RECOGNIZED WITH BRONZE STAR MEDALS FOR THEIR GALLANTRY IN BATTLE. SUBSEQUENTLY WOUNDED IN THE SHOULDER BY SHRAPNEL DURING HEDGEROW FIGHTING IN NORMANDY, FRANCE. HE WAS MEDICALLY EVACUATED BUT RETURNED TO HIS UNIT AT THE FRONT AND THEN FOUGHT IN THE HURTGEN FOREST IN BELGIUM. DURING THAT BATTLE, HE ONCE AGAIN WAS MEDICALLY EVACUATED DUE TO A CONCUSSION CAUSED BY AN ENEMY SHELL BURST. HE WAS IN PARIS, FRANCE AT WAR'S END. AWARDED THE COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE, BRONZE STAR MEDAL WITH BRONZE LETTER 'V' DEVICE FOR VALOR, PURPLE HEART, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH BRONZE ARROWHEAD DEVICE FOR PARTICIPATION IN AN AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT LANDING, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. AUTHORIZED THE MERITORIOUS UNIT COMMENDATION FOR EXCEPTIONALLY MERITORIOUS PERFORMANCE BY HIS UNIT DURING MILITARY OPERATIONS. AWARDED THE BELGIAN CROIX DE GUERRE FOR ACTIONS BY HIS UNIT IN BELGIUM, IN THE HURTGEN FOREST. HONORABLY DISCHARGED AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.