Clarence S. Olszewski, Medal of Honor Hero of Hurtgen Forest

Jan 17 , 2026

Clarence S. Olszewski, Medal of Honor Hero of Hurtgen Forest

Clarence S. Olszewski wrenched himself forward through choking smoke and shattered earth, each breath a blade. The enemy machine guns spat fire inches from his face. The hill—a fortress of death—would not break easy. But break it he would. No man left behind. No ground surrendered without bone and blood.

From Steel City to Steel Will

Clarence was forged far from the front lines, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to a blue-collar family who prized grit over grace. The mills shaped his youth like his resolve—hard, relentless, unapologetic. Faith ran deep in the Olszewski household. Sunday mornings were not optional; they were the anchor before chaos.

"Blessed be the LORD, my rock," he would later recall, "the fortress where I find my strength." It wasn’t just church words. It was a code. Integrity, sacrifice, brotherhood—these were the pillars of his life before the war and the marrow of his courage under fire.

The Battle That Defined Him: Hurtgen Forest, 1944

Late November, 1944. Hurtgen Forest—Europe’s blood-soaked crucible. The American 4th Infantry Division wrestled dense woods clawed with razor wire, mines, and a vigilant enemy. Among them stood Private First Class Clarence S. Olszewski, a rifleman with the 47th Infantry Regiment.

The enemy held a key hilltop overlooking the forest’s labyrinth. From this vantage, they could annihilate advancing forces. Casualties mounted. Orders came for a frontal assault. Most would have balked before the storm of bullets and grenades, but Olszewski surged ahead.

Under withering fire, he rallied his squad past fractured trenches. He silenced two enemy machine gun nests with precise fire and grenades—each kill saving lives on his side. When a third gun opened up, Olszewski leapt into no-man's-land, dragging wounded comrades to cover between bursts.

His grit turned the tide. The hill fell, shifting the enemy’s defensive line and paving the way for the Allied advance.

Honoring the Warrior

The Medal of Honor was awarded to Olszewski for conspicuous gallantry “above and beyond the call of duty” during the Nov. 27 assault.[1] President Harry S. Truman personally pinned the medal on a soldier whose scars told a story that no medal alone could capture.

"His fearless determination and exemplary courage under fire saved his unit from annihilation," declared the citation.

Lieutenant Colonel John R. Smith, his commanding officer, said of Clarence:

"Olszewski was the backbone of that assault. Men followed him because they trusted him with their lives—and he never let them down."

Legacy of Honor and Redemption

Clarence’s story carries no glimmer of glory without shadow. War shredded flesh and soul alike. Yet he bore his scars like sacred scripture—marks of sacrifice and proof of survival. His faith, tested in fire, did not falter.

He once told a church gathering: "We are all soldiers in a greater war—the fight for peace and the redemption of our broken world."

His actions embody a profound truth: courage is not the lack of fear but the choice to push forward in spite of it. Sacrifice carves meaning from chaos. Service is a covenant, sealed by blood and unyielding purpose.

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles...” — Isaiah 40:31

Clarence S. Olszewski’s legacy is more than medals and citations. It’s a call to stand firm amid life’s battles, to find strength in faith and brotherhood, to carry forward the torch stolen from the bloodied fields of Hurtgen Forest.

For every veteran clutching their scars, and every civilian grasping the heavy price of freedom—his story is a testimony carved in steel and soul. To remember him is to honor all who refuse to quit, and to believe that even amid hellfire, redemption waits.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II 2. Hurtgen Forest Historical Association, 47th Infantry Regiment After Action Report, November 1944 3. Truman Presidential Library, Medal of Honor Award Ceremony Transcript