World War II Honoree

Charles Albert Ogden

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Reading, Massachusetts

Honored By

Charlie Ogden

Relationship

great nephew

He enlisted with the Massachusetts National Guard on May 27, 1940 as a member of the 182nd Infantry Regiment, 26th Infantry “Yankee Division” which was federalized for a year of service on January 16, 1941. On December 13, 1941 the regiment was detached and assigned to Task Force 6814 (Poppy Force), later organized as the Americal Division. He participated in the Defense of New Caldonia, the Battle of Guadalcanal, and Defense of Fiji Islands. The entire Americal division that took part in the Battle of Guadalcanal were awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation (later designated as the Presidential Unit Citation). In late 1943 he volunteered for Task Force Galahad, and became a member of Company A of Casual Detachment 1668 and sent to India for training. On January 5, 1944 he was transferred to Company B, White Combat Team, 1st Battalion, 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), known as Merrill's Marauders. By April he had transferred to Company L, Orange Combat Team, "K Force", 3rd Battalion of the 5307th. On the morning of May 24, 1944 along the Mongaung-Myitkyina Road near the village of Charpate he was attacked by Japanese soldiers and stabbed a dozen times with their bayonets. He was evacuated to an army hospital in India and in August the 5307th became the 475th Infantry Regiment. He was discharged July 16, 1945. He re-enlisted at Fort Banks, Boston on January 21, 1946. He was serving at Kobe Base in Kobe Japan on August 1946 where he was awarded a Purple Heart for his injuries in Burma. He was honorably discharged on December 31, 1948.