Lloyd Harold Stegeman
Era: World War II
Military Branch: Army
Lloyd Harold Stegeman served in World War II in the European Theater.
He joined the U.S. Army on March 22, 1942. Mr. Stegeman was assigned to the 3rd Platoon, C Company of the 899th Tank Destroyer Battalion. His unit served in North Africa and Italy and participated in the D-Day invasion, landing on Utah Beach. They continued in combat through France, Belgium, and Germany.
He was discharged on February 16, 1946.
His rank was Sergeant. His job was Tank Commander.
Mr. Stegeman was awarded the Silver Star and the Purple Heart.
Mr. Stegeman was born in 1919, in Mora, Minnesota, to Conrad and Ethel Stegeman.
Source: Veterans’ Memorial Hall veteran’s history form; veteran’s account (below):
“I was inducted into the Army at Fort Snelling on March 23rd, 1942. I left by train for Fort Lewis, Washington, where I joined the 899th Tank Destroyer Battalion and received basic training. I was part of C Company, 3rd Platoon. I stayed in that unit for the length of my time in the Army.
“In July, our outfit was sent to Camp Hood, Texas, which wasn’t built yet, so we lived in tents until construction on the camp was completed in October. We left Camp Hood by train on Christmas Eve, bound for Fort Dix, New Jersey. We stayed at Fort Dix until January 13th, when we left for Casablanca, North Africa. We arrived there on January 26th, 1943. Our equipment arrived later and after a short training period, we drove 1,500 miles to our first combat experience at Gafsa El Guettar, North Africa.
“Our battalion stopped an offensive by Rommel’s 10th Panzer Division on March 23rd, 1943. We met the British near Gabes, North Africa. We were not needed for the finish of the battle at Tunis so we moved back, almost to Casablanca, for more training before leaving for Sicily. Because the battle was almost over, they left us in Naples for almost a month. The terrain was not good for our tanks so they sent us to an area not far from Salisbury, England.
“In 1944, we were trained for the D-Day invasion of France. Our training included camouflaging and waterproofing our tanks and vehicles. On June 6th, 1944, we landed on Utah Beach. Our job was to support the 4th Infantry Division and an airborne unit. Our unit went from Utah Beach to Barnville, all the way across to the Cherbourg Peninsula. We fought in the battles of St. Mere Eglise, Montebourg, St. Jean De Deye, St. Lo, and Cherbourg. C Company also participated in the battle of Falaise Trap. We fought with the 3rd Battalion, 47th Regiment, 9th Infantry Division for the rest of the war.
“In September of 1944, we went through Belgium and into Germany to take the small town of Schevenhutte, which was near Aachen. This is where I earned my Silver Star. While still there, on the 16th of November, I was wounded and received a Purple Heart. I was taken by train to Paris and from there, I took a small plane to Glasgow for hospitalization. On New Years’ Day, 1945, I left Glasgow for New York, and then on to Barnes General Hospital in Vancouver, Washington. I had skin graft surgery on Easter Sunday. June, my fiancée, came to see me, so everything was really good! I had not seen her since November of 1942. I received a month-long furlough on June 1st, and we were married on June 16th, 1945.
“I received bone and tendon transplants before the hospital closed in November of 1945. I was then sent to the Beaumont General Hospital in El Paso, Texas. I was able to come home to Minnesota for Christmas and was discharged from the Army on February 16th, 1946. I became a farmer and raised my family in Mora, Minnesota. We have seven children, nineteen grandchildren, thirty-two great-grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild. June, my wife, passed away on March 11th, 2005.
“The medals I received during my time in the Army were the Purple Heart (November 16th, 1944, at Schevenhutt, Germany), Silver Star (September 12th, 1944, at Schevenhutt, Germany), and the Invasion Medal Arrowhead (for taking part in the D-Day invasion of France, June 6th, 1944). The ranks I held were Corporal (at Fort Hood, Texas, in September of 1942), and Sergeant/Tank Commander (at St. Lo, France on July 20th, 1944).”
