Clarence S. Olszewski's Medal of Honor at Hurtgen Forest

Dec 20 , 2025

Clarence S. Olszewski's Medal of Honor at Hurtgen Forest

Clarence S. Olszewski’s world shattered under gunfire. The air thick with smoke and death. Bullets ripping through the chaos. But there he was—leading the charge, eyes locked on the objective, muscle memory overriding fear. No hesitation. No retreat. Only forward.

Background & Faith

Born in the heartland, Clarence was steel forged in humility. A kid from Wisconsin who learned early the weight of hard work and quiet faith. Raised Catholic, his prayers were simple but fierce—protection for his brothers-in-arms, strength in battle, and mercy for the enemy.

His moral compass didn’t spin with politics or fanfare. It was rooted in Romans 8:31 — "If God is for us, who can be against us?" That verse carried him through muddy foxholes and savage firefights. Faith wasn’t just words. It was armor.

The Battle That Defined Him

November 1944. The Battle of Hürtgen Forest, Germany. A frozen hellscape where every step could be your last. Clarence served with the 84th Infantry Division. His platoon faced a seemingly impossible task: seize a heavily fortified hill to break the German line.

The enemy unleashed a hailstorm of machine-gun fire. Mortars pounded like thunder. Men fell like wheat before the scythe. Communication lines severed, confusion thick as fog. Command faltered.

Clarence did not.

Under relentless fire, he rallied his men. Grabbing a discarded rifle, oxygen was a luxury between gunshots. He led from the front, sprinting across open ground sloping with death. Every second in that open was a roll of the dice with grim fate.

With calculated ferocity, he took out enemy bunkers one by one. When his platoon leader was wounded, Clarence assumed command without missing a beat. He coordinated flanking maneuvers, improvised tactics on the fly. The hill was a fortress of steel and barbed wire, but he broke it.

"His actions were the turning point," wrote his commanding officer. The platoon secured the hill — a linchpin for the Allies’ push into Germany.

Recognition

For his valor, Clarence S. Olszewski received the Medal of Honor. The citation speaks in cold, bureaucratic terms—far different from the blood and grit that earned it:

“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty... Leading his men under intense enemy fire, he turned the tide of battle.”

President Truman presented the ribbon with solemn gravity. Fellow soldiers called him “the rock”, a man who refused to let fear dictate fate.

One sergeant remembered, _“When everyone else was frozen in place, Clarence moved like a force of nature. He didn’t ask for glory. He just did his job.”_

Legacy & Lessons

Clarence’s story isn’t just history. It’s a testament. Courage is not absence of fear—it's choosing action amidst it. Sacrifice means putting the lives of others above your own, knowing the cost.

He carried his scars—both seen and unseen—with quiet dignity. After the war, Clarence lived without fanfare. He never sought the spotlight. His faith grounded him in purpose beyond the battlefield.

“Greater love hath no man than this.” His life embodied that scripture. His fight wasn’t just for territory. It was for the sanctity of hope, for brothers who trusted him with everything.

Today, his story still calls to men and women facing their own dark forests—internal or external. To stand firm when chaos reigns. To lead with heart and grit.

Clarence S. Olszewski died decades after the war, but his legacy still marches. Not in medals or ceremonies alone, but in every small act of courage that honors those who gave everything.