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First Name: Carlos

Last Name: Ogden

Birthplace: Borton, IL, USA

Gender: Male

Branch: Army (1784 - present)



Home of Record: Fairmount, IL
Middle Name: Carnes



Date of Birth: 09 May 1917

Date of Death: 02 April 2001

Rank: Major

Years Served:
Carlos Carnes Ogden, Sr.

   
Engagements:
•  World War II (1941 - 1945)

Biography:

Carlos Carnes Ogden, Sr.

Major, U.S. Army

Medal of Honor Recipient

World War II

Major Carlos Carnes Ogden, Sr. (9 May 1917 - 2 April 2001) was a U.S. Army officer and a recipient of the U.S. military's highest award for valor, the Medal of Honor, for his actions during World War II.

Carlos Carnes Ogden, Sr. was born on 9 May 1917 in Borton, IL. He joined the Army from Fairmount, IL. On 25 June 1944, he was serving as a First Lieutenant in Company K, 314th Infantry Regiment, 79th Infantry Division. During a firefight that day near Fort du Roule, France, Ogden single-handedly destroyed three German gun emplacements. For his actions, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Medal of Honor

Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company K, 314th Infantry, 79th Infantry Division.

Place and date: Near Fort du Roule, France, 25 June 1944.

Citation: On the morning of 25 June 1944, near Fort du Roule, guarding the approaches to Cherbourg, France, 1st Lt. Ogden's company was pinned down by fire from a German 88-mm. gun and 2 machineguns. Arming himself with an M-1 rifle, a grenade launcher, and a number of rifle and handgrenades, 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 machinegun bullet, 1st Lt. 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 handgrenades, knocked out the 2 machineguns, again being painfully wounded. 1st Lt. 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.

Ogden reached the rank of Major before leaving the Army.

Post-Military Life

Carlos later served as national president of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Governor Ronald Reagan appointed Ogden director of the California Selective Service System in 1967.

He was active as a Mason and a Kiwanian and was honored for his work numerous times.

Medals and Awards

Medal of Honor
Bronze Star Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster (2 Awards)
Purple Heart with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters (4 Awards)

Death and Burial

Major Carlos Carnes Ogden, Sr. died on 2 April 2001 at age 83. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA, in Section 65, Lot 533.



Honoree ID: 1572   Created by: MHOH

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