Carl M. Haugen
Era: World War II
Military Branch: Army
Carl M. Haugen was inducted into the Army on May 30, 1942 at Fort Snelling, Minn.
He served as a Private and tank crewman in the Infantry with Headquarters Company of the 3rd Battalion and 351st Infantry Regiment in Tunisia; Naples-Foggia, Rome Arno, North Apennines and Po Valley, Italy.
"Crossed the Po River in Italy on a pontoon bridge driving a captured Ford truck in spring of 1945. North Africa was hot in 1943. I lost 50 pounds that summer. I was nicknamed 'Old Man' because I was past 30 and the rest in the company were in their 20's."
Mr. Haugen was awarded the Good Conduct Medal, European-African-Middle East Campaign Medal with five bronze battle stars, American Defense Service Medal with Foreign Service clasp,
World War II Victory Medal and five overseas service bars.
He was honorably discharged Sept. 29, 1945 at Camp McCoy, Wis.
Source: Hometown Heroes: The St. Louis County World War II Project. 104.
