Roy E. Carlson
Era: World War II
Military Branch: Army
Roy E. Carlson enlisted in the Army on Jan. 20, 1943.
He was a private first class and an infantryman and Browning Automatic Rifleman with Company C, 264th Infantry Regiment, 66th Infantry Division.
He arrived in England in November 1944 and embarked aboard the troop ship Leopoldville for France on Dec. 24, 1944. Approaching the French coast, the ship was torpedoed by a German submarine off Cherbourg. The lifeboats were inoperable and 300 lives were lost. He was rescued by the British destroyer HMS Brilliant.
In his words: "After reorganization, we went on line in the Lorient sector of Bretagne-Lorie area of France where we surrounded 40,000 to 50,000 Germans in two pockets, St. Nazaire and Lorient. One of my closest calls in combat occurred out front of our lines in the open when shrapnel from exploding artillery went right between me and my buddy. I recall other patrols, both night and day, including close calls with enemy fire. I joined the Panther Patrol unit which was deployed and set to go into Lorient with artillery fire ahead of us when the Germans surrendered.
He later served with the;42nd Infantry Division in the occupation forces in Austria.
He received the :
Combat Infantryman Badge,
Good Conduct Medal, European-African-Middle East Campaign Service Medal, American Campaign Service Medal
and two overseas service bars.
He was discharged on April 9, 1946.
