World War II Honoree

Clarence 'Mac' Evans

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Clarksburg, West Virginia

Honored By

Dick Tobiason & Martin K.A. Morgan

Relationship

Friends

ENLISTED AT AGE 17 FROM CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA. HE REPORTED FOR BASIC TRAINING AT FORT SAM HOUSTON, TEXAS AT THE BEGINNING OF 1943 AND QUICKLY MASTERED RIFLE MARKSMANSHIP. WHEN THE TIME CAME TO QUALIFY WITH THE M1903A3 RIFLE (IN FEBRUARY 1943), HE SHOT THE HIGHEST LEVEL POSSIBLE, EXPERT. AFTER BASIC, HE WENT ON TO ADVANCED TRAINING AND WAS ULTIMATELY SENT OVERSEAS IN SEPTEMBER 1943. IN MID-MAY 1944 HE WAS ASSIGNED TO G COMPANY, 116TH INFANTRY REGIMENT, 29TH INFANTRY DIVISION AS IT PREPARED FOR THE UPCOMING INVASION OF FRANCE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, AT 0630 ON TUESDAY, JUNE 6, 1944, HE STEPPED OFF THE RAMP OF A LANDING CRAFT. HE SURVIVED OMAHA BEACH AND SOON BECAME PART OF THE PUSH INLAND. DURING THE WEEKS THAT FOLLOWED, HE CAME TO KNOW THE HARDSHIPS OF LIFE IN THE FIELD, AND THE HARSH REALITIES OF COMBAT IN NORMANDY. WHEN THE 29TH DIVISION PUSHED SOUTH TOWARD THE CITY OF SAINT LO, HIS COMPANY ENDURED DAY AFTER DAY OF SOME OF THE MOST INTENSE FIGHTING EXPERIENCED DURING THE CAMPAIGN. ONE AFTERNOON IN MID-JULY, AN M4 SHERMAN TANK RATTLED UP THE ROAD NEAR HIS PLATOON’S POSITIONS IN THE TOWN OF SAINT CLAIR SUR L'ELLE. SUDDENLY, A ROUND FROM A CAMOUFLAGED GERMAN ANTI-TANK GUN STRUCK THE SHERMAN, AND IT BEGAN TO BURN. HE COULD SEE THE WOUNDED TANK COMMANDER STRUGGLING TO FREE HIMSELF FROM THE TURRET, BUT IT WAS IMMEDIATELY OBVIOUS THAT HE WAS NEVER GOING TO MAKE IT OUT BEFORE FLAMES ENGULFED HIM. DROPPING HIS RIFLE, HE SPRANG FROM COVER, RAN OVER TO THE TANK, AND PULLED THE TANK COMMANDER TO SAFETY. FOR THAT ACT OF COURAGE, HE WAS AWARDED THE BRONZE STAR MEDAL. THE WAR CONTINUED BEYOND NORMANDY AS THE 29TH DIVISION PUSHED WEST INTO BRITTANY, BUT HIS HEALTH BEGAN TO WAVER DURING THAT TIME. HE EVENTUALLY CONTRACTED PNEUMONIA AND HAD TO BE HOSPITALIZED FOR ALMOST 45 DAYS. BY THE TIME HE REJOINED THE 29TH DIVISION, IT HAD MOVED 375 MILES EAST INTO GERMANY. BY OCTOBER 1944, THE DIVISION HAD TAKEN UP POSITIONS IN THE VICINITY OF THE CITIES OF TEVEREN AND GEILENKIRCHEN, AND WAS ABOUT TO BEGIN AN ADVANCE TOWARD THE ROER RIVER. HE SURVIVED MANY MORE WEEKS OF HEAVY FIGHTING DURING THIS TIME AS THE 29TH PUSHED TOWARD THE CITADEL OF JULICH. ON FEBRUARY 25, 1945, THE 2ND BATTALION OF THE 116TH INFANTRY BEGAN TO ADVANCE NORTHEAST OUT OF JULICH TOWARD THE VILLAGE OF WELLDORF, JUST THREE MILES AWAY. WITH G COMPANY ON THE RIGHT FLANK, MEN BEGAN MOVING ACROSS FLAT, OPEN FARM FIELDS. THEY HAD COVERED MORE THAN HALF THE DISTANCE WHEN GERMAN TROOPS IN WELLDORF OPENED UP ON THEM. HE WAS ON THE GROUND LOOKING FOR A TARGET TO SHOOT AT, BUT THE ENEMY WAS SO WELL CONCEALED THAT THEY COULD NOT BE SEEN. WHILE LYING PRONE IN THE FIELD, A GERMAN MORTAR ROUND LANDED PRACTICALLY ON TOP OF HIM, SHOWERING HIM WITH FRAGMENTS. HE WAS WOUNDED IN HIS RIGHT WRIST, LEFT FOREARM, AND RIGHT CALF. ALTHOUGH NOT LIFE THREATENING, THE WOUNDS WERE SERIOUS ENOUGH TO WARRANT AN IMMEDIATE EVACUATION FROM THE BATTLEFIELD AND HE WAS THEREAFTER CARRIED AWAY TO A SUCCESSION OF FIELD HOSPITALS. HE WAS FINALLY RELEASED NINE WEEKS LATER, RIGHT AS THE WAR IN EUROPE WAS COMING TO A CLOSE. HE STAYED IN EUROPE AND BECAME A SERGEANT IN THE 13TH MAJOR PORT (PART OF THE ARMY’S TRANSPORTATION CORPS) IN ANTWERP, BELGIUM. HE SERVED AS A NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICER RESPONSIBLE FOR RUNNING A GI NIGHTCLUB. HE REMAINED IN THE ARMY UNTIL 1947, AT WHICH TIME HE RETURNED TO THE U.S. HE WAS AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART, BRONZE STAR MEDAL WITH V DEVICE, THE FRENCH CROIX DE GUERRE, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH THREE STARS, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AND THE AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL. HE WAS DISCHARGED AT NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA IN 1947.