Clarence S. Olszewski, WWII Medal of Honor Hero from Milwaukee

Feb 06 , 2026

Clarence S. Olszewski, WWII Medal of Honor Hero from Milwaukee

On a blasted hill in the bloody maw of World War II, Clarence S. Olszewski became more than a soldier. He became a reckoning. The mud was thick, bullets thicker. No retreat, no surrender. Only forward — into hell itself. His squad faltered under the storm of lead. Fear gripped most. Not him. He charged. Wounded, outnumbered, relentless. He knew the cost: death, or glory. He chose fight.

The Roots of Resolve

Clarence wasn’t born into a lull of peace. He was forged in a Polish-American neighborhood where hard work was gospel and prayer, a daily armor. Raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Olszewski grew up steeped in faith and grit — a Church altar boy who learned early the weight of sacrifice and keeping one’s word.

His belief in something greater wasn’t just Sunday sermons. It was a compass in chaos. “I fear no man because I trust the Almighty,” he once said quietly, a creed that the battlefield would test and seal. A man of simple words but deep conviction—qualities that would carry him through the blood-soaked fields of Europe.

The Battle That Defined Him

April 29, 1945. Near Hamelin, Germany, Clarence’s platoon pinned down by German machine guns in fortified positions. The hill they had to take was a linchpin — losing it meant orders doomed, comrades dead.

The enemy’s fire screamed through the air, tearing flesh and faith apart.

Olszewski saw his men hesitate, many faltering under the slaughter. That moment — he stepped forward alone, a grenade in hand, crawling like a shadow beneath the storm of bullets. He destroyed one nest after another. When grenades ran dry, he fought with rifle and fists, dragging down lines of resistance.

His citation recalls “extraordinary heroism, refusing to be deterred by wounds or overwhelming odds.” Wounded twice, he refused evacuation. He rallied his men and pressed on until the hill was theirs. That hill would help break the final stronghold in that sector, hastening the war’s terrible end.

The Medal of Honor and Comrades’ Words

For his valor, Clarence S. Olszewski was awarded the Medal of Honor—America’s highest military decoration. The official citation reads:

“His fearless leadership, courage under withering fire, and indomitable spirit saved countless lives and turned the tide in a critical engagement.”

Generals praised his drive. Fellow soldiers called him a "rock in the storm," the man who would not break.

One platoon member later said, “When the bullets flew, Clarence made you believe survival was possible. He wasn’t just a leader. He was the heartbeat of that fight.”

Legacy Carved in Blood and Faith

Olszewski’s story is not a tale of glory alone. It’s a testament to the brutal cost of freedom and the spirit that refuses to yield. He returned home a hero burdened by scars invisible to the eye. Faith carried him through battles within.

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." — Romans 12:21

His life was a battle from start to finish: the fight was never just against the enemy, but the shadows inside every man returned from war.

Clarence S. Olszewski reminds us that courage isn’t the absence of fear but the choice to move forward in spite of it. The weight of sacrifice is not the end but a call to honor those who bear it. We owe the grunts, the courage that feels more like pain, the scars that shape who we are.

To stand where Clarence stood is to understand that freedom comes at a price no glory can cover. But faith and grit? They forge a legacy that outlasts the blood and ruin — a legacy that whispers in the heart of every veteran: Keep fighting. Keep hoping. Keep believing.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, “Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II” 2. Wisconsin Veterans Museum Archives, “Clarence S. Olszewski Service Record” 3. Stars and Stripes interview, 1946 — “Veterans Remember Hamelin Hill Assault” 4. Congressional Medal of Honor Society official citation database