WWII Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient Pvt. Rodger Young

 

Biographical Sketch of Rodger W. Young

Written by: Larry Cook

Rodger Wilton Young was born April 28, 1918 in Tiffin, Ohio to Mr. & Mrs. Nicholas Young. He had three brothers and one sister. The Young family lived in Green Springs, Ohio, moving to nearby Clyde shortly before the outbreak of World War II. While growing up Rodger spent much time fishing and hunting and acquired the nickname "Fuzz" one day hunting rabbits.

Rodger joined Company B 148th Infantry (the Fremont Company) of the Ohio National Guard in January 1938. At that time Rodger, who was always small, was 5'2" tall and weighed 125 pounds - one of the smallest men in the outfit. In October 1940 the Guard unit was activated as part of the 37th Infantry Division under Major General Robert Beightler. The company trained at Camp Shelby, Mississippi and Indiantown Gap Military Reservation, Pennsylvania. Rodger served as an instructor on the rifle range, won marksmanship medals, and was a sergeant and squad leader when the company left the United States for the South Pacific.

The unit went first to the Fiji Islands and then to New Georgia in the Solomon Islands. Rodger suffered from poor hearing, the result of an incident during a high school basketball game and aggravated by the sound of gunfire at the firing range. Concerned that he would not hear an important order or some significant sound in the jungle during a mission, he asked to be demoted back to the rank of private and have someone else lead the squad.

On July 31, 1943, Young's squad was pinned down by a hidden Japanese machine gun nest protecting the Munda airstrip on New Georgia. Rodger, wounded by the initial burst of fire, spotted the location of the gun. Firing his rifle and attracting the fire of the enemy, he crept forward and was wounded a second time. When he was close enough, he began throwing hand grenades, was hit again and killed. His heroic efforts allowed his squad to withdraw with no additional losses while inflicting several casualties on the Japanese. For this action, Rodger Young was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in January 1944. About a year later this story came to the attention of Pfc. Frank Loesser who, already established as a writer of popular songs, wrote "The Ballad of Rodger Young".

The Governor of Ohio, Frank J. Lausche, proclaimed March 25, 1945 as "Rodger W. Young Day" in Ohio. On that day a celebration was held in Fremont, Ohio honoring Rodger and his gallantry. The day's activities culminated in the dedication of Fremont's Water Works Park as Rodger W. Young Memorial Park.

Pvt. Rodger Young Parade, Fremont, Ohio
Courtesy of Hayes Presidential Library and Museums

In 1949 Young's remains were returned to the United States and he is now buried in McPherson Cemetery, Clyde, Ohio.

  

Return of the Remains of Pvt. Rodger Young
AP Photo: Courtesy of Hayes Presidential Library and Museums

Rodger Young Gravesite, McPherson Cemetery, Clyde, Ohio 

Courtesy of Find a Grave

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[Text of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's citation upon presentation of the Medal of Honor]

The President of the United States takes pride in awarding the Medal of Honor posthumously to

PRIVATE RODGER W. YOUNG, COMPANY B, 148th

INFANTRY, UNITED STATES ARMY

                                           for service as set forth in the following

CITATION:

"For distinguishing himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy on New Georgia, Solomon Islands. On 31 July 1943, the infantry company, of which Private Young was a member, was ordered to make a limited withdrawal from the battle line in order to adjust the battalion's position for the night. At this time, Private Young's platoon was engaged with the enemy in a dense jungle where observation was very limited. The platoon suddenly was pinned down by intense fire from a Japanese machine-gun concealed on higher ground only seventy-five yards away. The initial burst wounded Private Young. As the platoon started to obey the order to withdraw, Private Young called out the he could see the enemy emplacement, whereupon he started creeping toward it. Another burst from the machine-gun wounded him the second time. Despite his wounds, he continued his heroic advance, attracting enemy fire and answering with rifle fire. When he was close enough to his objective, he began throwing hand grenades and while doing so was hit again and killed. Private Young's bold action in closing with this Japanese pillbox and thus diverting its fire, permitted his platoon to disengage itself, without loss, and was responsible for several enemy casualties."

Franklin D. Roosevelt 

Private Rodger Young Medal of Honor
Courtesy of Hayes Presidential Library and Museums



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Reminiscence of Fellow Soldier William Ridenour

"We didn't know how we were going to get out - we were surrounded by the Japanese. We were all in a semi-circle, and we lit up our ammunition. We had to burn it up. That's one of the lessons you learn, not to leave any ammunition for the enemies to use on you." - William Ridenour, saved by Pvt. Rodger W. Young during World War II in the Solomon Islands, July 31, 1943. Being shot at by the Japanese, with only his fox hole to curl into, William F. Ridenour, now 72, of Fremont, thought he was a dead man that day in 1943. And then came Pvt. Rodger W. Young, the man who, despite being injured, continued his drive to save the lives of his comrades. He lost his own life doing just that. "He was a good guy, a little strong-headed," Ridenour said, reminiscing about that fateful day, 50 years ago today. "A lot of times, he didn't hear." It was that "hearing problem" that led Young, only six weeks prior to his heroic acts, to ask his captain that he be reduced in rank, from staff sergeant to private, so he would not jeopardize the lives of his comrades. We were given up as annihilated," Ridenour said about his fellow soldiers, members of the 148th Infantry, 37th Division, company B of the Ohio National Guard. "You had to keep your tail down."

Excerpted from a Fremont News Messenger article by

 Shari L. Veleba dtd. July 31, 1993

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A version of this post once appeared on Sandusky-County-Scrapbook

An Ohio Nature Journal

Guest Post by Barbara Paff 

Some thirty years ago, Barbara Paff began keeping a nature journal, detailing the pleasures of rural living in Rice Township, Sandusky County, Ohio. During those years, Barb was a librarian at the Hayes Presidential Library/Archive, while her husband, the Rev. Richard Moe, was pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, then located at 3077 County Road 170 in Rice Township. They lived in the parsonage on the south side of the church. In 2004 they moved to Barb’s home town of East Lansing, Michigan, where she continues to enjoy gardening, albeit in a much smaller urban space…but still with plenty of wildlife.

An enthusiastic observer of nature, Ohio's changing seasons, and the wildlife around her, Barb has shared some of her insightful journal entries, recorded during her time in Ohio, describing quotidian events, plants and creatures that interested and delighted her.  Enjoy!

1993

Jan 3 - On New Year’s Day, after 3” of rain, the creek flooded almost up to the road, leaving a dead pumpkin in Jim’s pasture, along with piles of sticks and other flood detritus.

Some of the mornings and evenings lately have been so still that you can hear a bird’s wings as it flies overhead–even small birds.  The flocks of Canada geese sound like a rope whipped in circles.  Saw a coyote again, early morning, as before.

Strange weather for January—vacillates every few days, from 50 degrees to 15 degrees, and back again.  Can’t be good for plants.  Forsythia bloomed this past fall—lilac buds are ready to pop now—rose bushes may not survive even with heavy leaf mulch.

Flooded Fields 
Courtesy of Barbara Paff

Jan 4 - More rain, 1-½”, still raining, 55 degrees.

Flooding
Courtesy of Barbara Paff

Jan 8 - Cold, with NE wind and flurries.  Feels more like January should.  I’m uneasy when it’s too warm and no snow.  One nice thing about all this rain (for me, not for the farmers) is that it’s too wet to plow, so the fields around us still have cornstalks to soften the landscape, and a bit of corn for the doves and geese to glean.  Looks the way winter fields should look!

Jan 12 -  Real snow and bitter cold this week, and I found out the mourning doves are out there.  Counted about 20 at the feeder this morning.  Before, hadn’t seen more than one or two.  Hearing a lot of geese lately, too—wondered all fall where they were.  The snow this week also brought us a pair of cardinals and numerous juncos.  Have not seen the wacko male cardinal who pounds on windows, though—he was around until recently, thwacking the panes.

Junco
Courtesy of allaboutbirds.org

Jan 14 - Yesterday they were cutting dead trees at Spiegel Grove, and dislodged a raccoon who was undoubtedly cozily nested for the winter—I wonder how many weeks’ worth of stored fat hibernation energy it lost in escaping and trying to find another safe place?  At least it seems likely there’ll be food available in the grove, even just corn or birdseed.

Jan 15 - Today there were  3 redwing blackbirds at the feeder, at least 4-5 weeks earlier than I’ve ever seen them in the 10 years we’ve lived here.  Usually it’s late February.

Jan 16 - A killdeer, in January?  Saw one fly up out of a field at dusk tonight.  Seeing lots of geese—odd they weren’t around in Nov-Dec when corn was picked.

Jan 22 - Lots of geese today, circling, landing, circling again.  Walt’s unhappy that they’re eating (and killing) the winter wheat sprouts—green salad, to them!  Too much gray weather—Black Swamp weather, we call it—rained all day again.  But on clear days, the sun is higher—stays light out until nearly 6 pm!

Jan 31 - Very windy since Fri., but so sunny today it seemed like spring (40’s).  Tulip and daffodil tips are up, on north side of the church.  Not many birds at the feeder—must be finding food elsewhere when there’s no snow.

Feb 6 - COLD again—a touch of snow.  The air was full of diamond dust all day.  Full moon tonight, skating between the clouds.  Somebody has dug a burrow under the front window…somebody small-ish.  Not a woodchuck, anyway.

Feb 7 - Today I found a vole in a tree—a dead vole, to be sure—in a 2-foot spruce, about 18” up, lying on its belly on top of a branch.  Dropped there? (How likely is THAT?)  Not a likely place for a nap—nor a likely hiding place!  Strange.  Lovely day, 40 degrees, though the wind was sharp.  I took Gabe for a walk up around Jim’s pond, and he couldn’t understand why I wouldn’t let him run out on the ice (it looked pretty thin), so he bit off pieces and chewed it instead.  Yup, it’s what retrievers do…

Vole
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Feb 15 - Wrong about burrow under the window.  Creature moved a chunk of cement.  Could well be a woodchuck!  Snow on the way—they say up to 6” by a.m. and another 6” tomorrow. I’m supposed to be at work, and my car has a flat tire.  I hope at least “the electric” will stay on, so we have heat and water.

Feb 23 - Sort of snowed in.  This whole last week‘s been Winter….snow, sleet, more snow, and COLD  Still some ice on trees, and definitely on everything else.  Gabe has noticed that something has  burrowed under the window.  Paw prints like a human foot, only fat.  Coon or possum?  Don’t know if it’s still under the bush or just its scent, but Gabe is fascinated.  Anyway, it isn't in the original burrow, and it can’t be digging far in this weather (10 degrees).

Feb 24 - New bird at the feeder—a horned lark.  We saw them once before, several years ago, also during a bitterly cold, windy spell with a lot of snow.  Couldn’t see the “horns” on this one, but the markings are very distinctive.  Last time, there was a whole army of them, and they marched along looking for food, in synchronized choreography.

Horned Larkspur
Courtesy of allaboutbirds.org

Mar 5 - Another ice and snow blast yesterday, after some “springlike” days.  Power out for 13 hours—lots of birds and bunnies at the feeder—the lark pair disappears when it’s warmer, but they were back yesterday!

Mar 8 - Thousands of geese—in the sky, in the fields—I watched 6 swans with one flock.  Hmm, isn’t it “6 geese a-laying, 7 swans a-swimming”?  Well, this was 6 swans—white, long necks, black feet and bill.  My books say probably whistling swans.  Thought maybe snow geese, but their necks were so long—can’t find a good description of snow geese.

Lots of cowbirds at the feeder.  The earth seems poised for spring…  Haven’t seen redwings again, though.  One of these mornings they’ll be out there shrieking with that piercing SCREEK!

Whistling Swans
Courtesy of G Johnston Photos

Mar 9 - Looks like another year for sick raccoons—had to call Walt this a.m. to shoot one that was huddled against the parish hall, shivering.  It didn’t even try to run from Gabe (who was a good boy and left it alone when I told him to).

Tonight at dusk, I saw several small flocks of swans flying low overhead—they sound quite different from geese, not quite as strident, and their wings make a different sound from the whistling of goose wings—there’s a kind of “burr” in it.  I think that now I could tell them from geese even if they were really high—their necks are so long, and they fly with necks extended.

Mar 11 - Saw a BIG flock of swans today.  Flying against a backdrop of “cloudy and snowing,” they are like ghosts.  Their bodies almost disappear into the grey, but their graceful necks show up, and their wings, being whiter, seem to shimmer rather than flap.  Reminds me of an illustration somewhere in a children’s book, which I assumed at the time to be a fantasy rendering.  (Maybe Hans Christian Andersen?)

Redwings are everywhere now, and at the feeders.  Gotta find out when to put up bluebird and wren houses.

Mar 27 - Fog.  Seems like weeks of it.  Depressing.  The good news:  bulbs and other things are sprouting, sweet peas, rhubarb, etc.  A pair of cardinals is nesting in the big pine.  Did I mention that song sparrows and white-throated sparrows have been back for weeks?

The sad news:  someone dumped a box with a litter of half grown kittens on the road—the mother was hit and killed, and the kittens stayed huddled together by a post, waiting for her to come back, I guess.  They didn’t run from me, but were watchful.  Fed them—they were REALLY hungry—took them home, but had to take them to our vet.  They will probably be put down, but at least won’t freeze or starve, or be eaten.  The little black and white one was so scared, she cowered—her little face haunts me.  Why are people such utterly cruel and irresponsible jerks??

Daffodil Sprouting
Courtesy of Barbara Paff

Mar 29 - Found 3rd kitten, in the corncrib—longhaired, gold and white with amber eyes, very affectionate, not at all afraid of Gabe.  Called the vet.  The other two had been adopted, and they thought they knew someone who’d want this one, so I zipped him in to the clinic.  Very grateful to them for providing this service to the Humane Society, which has no shelter.

Scilla
Courtesy of Barbara Paff

Apr 4 - The man who delivered our new table said he saw a bald eagle take a fish out of Jim’s pond, just across the road!  Yesterday Rich saw what he thinks was a heron with a light-colored head.  Hmmm…  Saw 2 cock pheasants strolling on the turnpike last Sunday—we rarely see or hear those.

Heron Flying over Field of Corn Stubble
Courtesy of Barbara Paff

Apr 7 - Warm enough (50’s) for yard cleanup—I’ll be aching tomorrow!  

So much illness around-not winter stuff, but elderly friends requiring surgery.  

On the bright side, we did see the sun for a few hours today, and a lovely full moon last night.  There are grape hyacinths and at least one tulip coming up where the well was dug up last year and I thought all the bulbs were lost!

Grape Hyacinth
Courtesy of Barbara Paff

Apr 12 - We’re easily entertained.  When the ad comes on TV with the pizza delivery man ringing the doorbell repeatedly, we say “Come in!” and Gabe rushes about, trying to decide which door to wag at!

Apr 13 - Saw a kingfisher—first time in several years.  Scilla and spring beauties blooming, forsythia too (but only 3 branches at the bottom, because birds picked off all the buds higher up…I watched them during the winter).  Somebody has filled the bluebird house with grass—don’t know who—nobody’s in there when I peek.

Apr 20 - Violets blooming, south end of house, purple and white.  I miss the big clump of white ones that used to be by the well.

 Violets
Courtesy of Barbara Paff

Apr 27 - Last Fri. was glorious, sunny and 60’s—I had the whole day to myself, got lots done, most of it outdoors.  Next day ACHING, but it was worth it.  Dogtooth violets have leaves but no sign of flowers.  Lunaria blooming—didn’t know they came so early.  Grass thick enough to mow—looks like summer, but still cold.  Foggy this a.m., looked eerie and lovely when the sun broke through, like a volcano land, with wisps of steam rising from the fields and fencerows.  Chlorinated the well—hate that job, but if I do it myself I can at least decide WHEN.  It takes quite a while to drain off the bleach and empty the water heater.

 

Lunaria with Seed Pods
Courtesy of Barbara Paff

Apr 30 - Dogtooth violets–one is blooming, finally, and they must be multiplying—there are at least a dozen plants!

Lovely, perfect day—we took “vacation” and went to Crane Creek.  Lots of birders there, mostly “older,” and friendly.  Watched tadpoles, yellow and other warblers, blue-gray gnatcatchers, hundreds of geese, and a frog.  Plus other birds we couldn’t identify.  Rich had heard from Ray and Jane Grob that the geese had goslings, but we never saw even one.  Herons, egrets, but no goslings.  Lots of ducks, muskrats, and a herd of carp boiling around in a shallow, swampy area (spawning).  Big ones, 18-20” long.

Dogtooth Violets
 Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Soldiers of the Soil

 During World War II, my mother told me about planting Victory Gardens that helped feed the nation, while farmers worked not only to feed citizens, but also our soldiers here and overseas. In reality “war gardens,” as they were originally called, began in 1917 when a severe food shortage occurred in Europe. During World War I, farmers were recruited into the military and land soon became battlefields. It fell to Americans to feed the millions starving in Europe

Businessman Charles Lathrop Pack began the National War Garden Commission. He encouraged citizens to use every bit of available land – parks, schools, companies, backyards, apartment rooftops, and vacant lots to grow their own fruits and vegetables. He believed this would ease the pressure on farmers who were trying to feed Americans, our allies overseas, and then our soldiers.  President Woodrow Wilson said gardening “is just as real and patriotic an effort as the building of ships or the firing of cannon.”

Courtesy of USDA

                                                         

The federal Bureau of Education created the U.S. School Garden Army to urge boys and girls ages 9 to 15 to enlist as “soldiers of the soil.” Funded by the War Department, the Bureau of Education distributed thousands of posters to schools and libraries.  Teachers, women’s clubs and civic groups spread the word. The program became so popular that pamphlets and radio broadcasts provided young gardeners with instructions on how and what to grow.  Like many seed companies, Wagner Park of Sidney, Ohio promoted the program in its catalogs. The project not only raised food, but also morale and patriotic spirit.

Courtesy of USDA

More than one million school children enrolled in the School Garden Army. Agriculture education became part of the curriculum at many schools. Students learned about nature and how to maximize productivity, record germination rates, and note diseases and pests.  According to The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, the gardens of 50 Cleveland area schools raised and canned produce valued at $100,000! The Cleveland Board of Education thought the program so important it purchased property so that gardens could become permanent.

Nationwide, children planted more than 5.2 million garden plots by 1918. An article in “History” estimated that the school garden army produced 1.5 million quarts of canned fruits and vegetables. When World War I ended, home gardens, by then known as Victory Gardens, declined, only to re-emerge in force when the United States entered the Second World War.