RESIDENCE (DURING WWII):
Madison County, Alabama
FULL NAME:
Carl O. Stephens
ARMY SERIAL NUMBER (ASN):
34919605
- DATE OF BIRTH: Jun 20, 1924
- DATE OF DEATH: Aug 29, 1990
DATE / PLACE OF ENLISTMENT:
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DATE OF ENLISTMENT:Feb 19, 1944
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PLACE OF ENLISTMENT:Fort McClellan, Alabama
ORGANIZATION:
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MAIN UNIT:23rd Infantry Regiment
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SUBUNIT:Company B, 1st Battalion
RANK / POSITION IN UNIT (LAST KNOWN):
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RANK:Private (Pvt.)
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POSITION IN UNIT:Rifleman
BATTLES AND CAMPAIGNS:
✭ Northern France Campaign (25 July – 14 September 1944), ✭ Ardennes-Alsace Campaign (16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945), ✭ Rhineland Campaign (15 September 1944 – 21 March 1945)
DECORATIONS AND CITATIONS (AWARDS):
🎖Bronze Star Medal, 🎖European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, 🎖Combat Infantry Badge
SUMMARY OF HIS SERVICE:
"He was trapped behind enemy lines near Hünningen/Mürringen during the Battle of the Bulge on December 18, 1944. Made it back to American lines and admitted to hospital for Dysentery and exhaustion.
His Company B repelled 6 attacks of the 12th SS Panzer Division “Hitlerjugend” before being overrun on on 7th attack, which involved hand-to-hand combat and the 1st battalion was forced to fall back, leaving several members behind.
My grandfather didn’t talk about it much. I knew he had a close friend named Clay (possible Sergeant?) that he named his first son (my uncle) after. Told a story of being behind the lines and hiding in a church before moving down the road to a small house. Not long after moving, Germans came and opened fire on the church."
