World War II Honoree

Carlos C. Ogden

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Borton, Illinois

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

ENTERED SERVICE AT FAIRMONT, ILLINOIS. FIRST LIEUTENANT, U.S. ARMY, COMPANY K, 314TH INFANTRY, 79TH INFANTRY DIVISION. AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR FOR ACTION NEAR FORT DU ROULE, FRANCE, JUNE 25, 1944; GO 49, JUNE 28, 1945. CITATION READS, 'ON THE MORNING OF JUNE 25, 1944, NEAR FORT DU ROULE, GUARDING THE APPROACHES TO CHERBOURG, FRANCE, FIRST LIEUTENANT OGDEN'S COMPANY WAS PINNED DOWN BY FIRE FROM A GERMAN 88MM GUN AND TWO MACHINE GUNS. ARMING HIMSELF WITH AN M-1 RIFLE, A GRENADE LAUNCHER AND A NUMBER OF HAND GRENADES, HE LEFT HIS COMPANY IN POSITION AND ADVANCED ALONE, UNDER FIRE, UP THE SLOPE TOWARD THE ENEMY EMPLACEMENTS. STRUCK ON THE HEAD AND KNOCKED DOWN BY A GLANCING MACHINE GUN BULLET, 1ST LIEUTENANT OGDEN, IN SPITE OF HIS PAINFUL WOUND AND ENEMY FIRE FROM CLOSE RANGE, CONTINUED UP THE HILL. REACHING A VANTAGE POINT, HE SILENCED THE 88MM GUN WITH A WELL PLACED RIFLE GRENADE AND THEN, WITH HAND GRENADES, KNOCKED OUT THE TWO MACHINE GUNS, AGAIN BEING PAINFULLY WOUNDED. FIRST LIEUTENANT OGDEN'S HEROIC LEADERSHIP AND INDOMITABLE COURAGE IN ALONE SILENCING THESE ENEMY WEAPONS INSPIRED HIS MEN TO GREATER EFFORT AND CLEARED THE WAY FOR THE COMPANY TO CONTINUE THE ADVANCE AND REACH ITS OBJECTIVES.'