World War II Honoree

Robert G. Claudio, Sr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Jersey City, New Jersey

Honored By

Mrs. Barbara E. Pace

Relationship

Niece

INDUCTED INTO THE U.S. ARMY ON 3/26/41 IN NEWARK, NEW JERSEY AT AGE 30. SENT TO THE INFANTRY REPLACEMENT TRAINING CENTER, CAMP CROFT NEAR SPARTANBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA FOR BASIC TRAINING. STATIONED AT FORT DIX, WRIGHTSTOWN, NEW JERSEY ON 7/8/41 AND PERMANENTLY ASSIGNED TO COMPANY C, 1ST BATTALION, 12TH INFANTRY REGIMENT, 4TH INFANTRY DIVISION. 10/23/41, ENTRAINED TO FORT BENNING, NEAR COLUMBUS, GEORGIA TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CAROLINA MANEUVERS AT SUMTER NATIONAL FOREST, SOUTH CAROLINA. RETURNED TO FORT BENNING ON 12/3/41, AND 4 DAYS LATER, HEARD OVER THE RADIO THAT THE JAPANESE ATTACKED PEARL HARBOR. 12/21/41, THE NEW 4TH MOTORIZED DIVISION MOVED TO BARRACKS AT CAMP GORDON, NEAR AUGUSTA, GEORGIA FOR MOTOR MAINTENANCE AND DRIVER TRAINING. ALSO COMPLETED 8 WEEKS OF TRAINING AT THE QUARTERMASTER CORPS SCHOOL FOR BAKERS AND COOKS IN 1942. 4/13/43, SENT BACK TO FORT DIX, NEW JERSEY BY TRAIN FOR TRAINING IN WEAPONS FIRING AND ATTACKS ON FORTIFIED POSITIONS. 9/24/43, ENTRAINED TO THE ARMED SERVICE FORCES TRAINING CENTER, CAMP GORDON JOHNSTON, CARRABELLE, FLORIDA FOR AMPHIBIOUS TRAINING. AFTER 2 WEEKS OF SCHOOL, MADE ASSAULT LANDINGS IN LANDING CRAFT ON DOG ISLAND AND THE FLORIDA SHORE. RE-DESIGNATED THE 4TH INFANTRY DIVISION AND EARLY IN DECEMBER 1943, HE WAS MOVED TO FORT JACKSON, COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA AND ALERTED FOR MOVEMENT OVERSEAS. 1/11/44, MOVED FROM FORT JACKSON TO A STAGING AREA AT CAMP KILMER, STELTON, NEW JERSEY. 1/17/44, ENTRAINED FROM THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD YARD AT CAMP KILMER AND HALTED AT THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD TERMINAL AT EXCHANGE PLACE, JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY. TAKEN BY FERRY TO PIER 5 AT THE BROOKLYN ARMY BASE WHERE HE BOARDED THE U.S. ARMY TRANSPORT GEORGE WASHINGTON THAT EMBARKED AT 1000 HOURS ON 1/18/44, TO JOIN A LARGE CONVOY AT SEA. DEBARKED AT LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND ON 1/29/44 AND BECAME A PART OF OPERATION BOLERO (MASSIVE BUILDUP OF U.S. FORCES AND SUPPLIES IN THE UNITED KINGDOM). HE WAS A COOK, BUT SERVED IN THE CONSTABULARY MILITARY POLICE PLATOON AND PERFORMED MILITARY POLICE DUTIES. ALSO SERVED AS AN INFANTRY RIFLEMAN. ENTRAINED FROM DARTMOOR TO PLYMOUTH, ENGLAND FOR 2 WEEKS OF SHIP-TO-SHORE TRAINING ONBOARD THE USS BARNETT APA-5 ATTACK TRANSPORT THAT DROPPED ANCHOR IN SCOTLAND. THEN SENT FOR MORE TRAINING AT SLAPTON SANDS, ENGLAND. 6/4/44, EMBARKED AT PLYMOUTH, ENGLAND ON A LANDING CRAFT, TANK INTO THE HARBOR TO AWAIT THE ORDER TO BEGIN A 120 MILE TRIP ACROSS THE ENGLISH CHANNEL TO SAINT-MARTIN-DE-VARREVILLE, FRANCE (CODE NAME: UTAH BEACH). ON JUNE 6, 1944, PARTICIPATED IN D-DAY, OPERATION OVERLORD, THE ALLIED INVASION OF NORMANDY, FRANCE. SERVED IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM (ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND), FRANCE, BELGIUM, LUXEMBOURG AND GERMANY. CAMPAIGNS AND BATTLES IN NORMANDY, D-DAY, JUNE 6, 1944, LANDED AT UTAH BEACH; NORTHERN FRANCE 1944, PARTICIPATED IN THE LIBERATION OF PARIS ON AUGUST 25, 1944; ARDENNES-ALSACE 1944-1945, BATTLE OF HUERTGEN FOREST, BATTLE OF THE BULGE (PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION AWARDED FOR THE DEFENSE OF LUXEMBOURG DURING THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE); RHINELAND 1944-1945, CROSSED THE RHINE RIVER AT WORMS, GERMANY ON 3/29/45 AND CENTRAL EUROPE 1945. OFTEN DROVE RECRUITS TO THE FRONT LINE AND BROUGHT BODY BAGS BACK. BY MAY 8, 1945 (V-E DAY) THE 4TH INFANTRY DIVISION HAD SERVED 299 DAYS IN COMBAT. MOVED BY TRAIN FROM GERMANY TO CAMP OLD GOLD NEAR THE VILLAGE OF SAINT-LAURENT-EN-CAUX, FRANCE IN JUNE 1945. AS A PART OF OPERATION MAGIC CARPET, HE EMBARKED FROM THE PORT OF LE HAVRE, FRANCE ON 7/3/45, ONBOARD THE TROOPSHIP SS SEA BASS. DEBARKED AT THE PORT OF NEW YORK ON 7/12/45 AND WAS SENT TO NEARBY CAMP SHANKS, ORANGEBURG, NEW YORK. AWARDED GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH A BRONZE ARROWHEAD AND SILVER SERVICE STAR, WWII VICTORY MEDAL, PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION AND A MARKSMAN BADGE WITH A RIFLE BAR, M1 GARAND. HONORABLY DISCHARGED ON 8/26/45 AT THE ARMY SEPARATION CENTER, FORT DIX, WRIGHTSTOWN, NEW JERSEY. 2/9/46, THE 4TH INFANTRY DIVISION WAS AWARDED THE BELGIUM FOURRAGERE OF THE ORDER OF LEOPOLD FOR ACTION IN BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG IN 1944.