First Lieutenant Carlos Carnes Ogden Sr., a soldier in the U.S. Army, received the Medal of Honor for gallantry on June 25, 1944 near Fort du Roule, Cherbourg, France during World War II. At the time he was serving with Company K, 3d Battalion, 314th Infantry, 79th Infantry Division. Ogden was 27 years old.
2 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on May 30, 1945. Augsburg, Germany, presented by Lt. Gen. Alexander M. Patch III. He later rose to the rank of Major.
Ogden was born on May 9, 1917 in Borton, Edgar County, Illinois. His Medal of Honor is credited to Fairmount, Vermillion County, Illinois. Ogden died on April 2, 2001 in Palo Alto, California, at the age of 83. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.
Ogden is one of 474 Medal of Honor recipients from World War II and one of 210 credited to Illinois.
Official Medal of Honor 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 two machine guns. Arming himself with an M1 rifle, a grenade launcher, and a number of rifle and 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 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 88-mm gun with a well-placed rifle grenade and then, with hand grenades, knocked out the two machine guns, again being painfully wounded. First 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.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Wounds and injuries
What the citation records about his wounds:
Struck on the head and knocked down by a glancing machine-gun bullet, 1st Lt. Ogden, in spite of his painful wound and enemy fire from close range, continued up the hill.
- Age at death: 83
- Resting place: Arlington National Cemetery
Other decorations and honors
Besides the Medal of Honor, Carlos Carnes Ogden Sr. received:
Source: Wikidata. Gold chips link to our guide to that decoration.
Battles and campaigns
Also served in: World War II.
Places
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Illinois →
Timeline
- May 9, 1917Born in Borton, Edgar County, Illinois
- June 25, 1944Act of valor — near Fort du Roule, Cherbourg, FranceAge 27. Company K, 3d Battalion, 314th Infantry, 79th Infantry Division
- May 30, 1945Medal of Honor presentedAugsburg, Germany, presented by Lt. Gen. Alexander M. Patch III
- April 2, 2001Died in Palo Alto, CaliforniaAge 83.
- Resting placeArlington National CemeteryArlington, Virginia
Biography
Carlos Carnes Ogden, Sr. (May 9, 1917 – April 2, 2001) was a United States Army officer and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration — the Medal of Honor — for his actions in World War II. Ogden attended Eastern Illinois University, where he was a standout on the Panthers’ football and basketball teams in the late 1930s.
From the Wikipedia article “Carlos C. Ogden”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
