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Contact Info
Home Town Washington D.C.
Last Address Washington D.C.
Date of Passing Feb 16, 1992
Location of Interment Arlington National Cemetery (VLM) - Arlington, Virginia
The Second Ranger Battalion was divided on D-Day, Sergeant Clark was assigned to be in charge of the Aid Station and Company "medics" assigned to A & B Companies.
Upon landing at Omaha Beach, both companies suffered heavy losses; Sergeant Clark, without hesitation, calmly, and with great presence of mind treated the wounded, one with an open pneumothorax (sucking chest wound), wherever they had fallen Most of the other medics already were either wounded-in-action or killed-in-action.
Later, while he was B Company's aid man, the Company, ordered to protect the left flank of the 4th Division, moved into an enemy mine field, at night, directly in front of three enemy strong points. Three mines were detonated, killing two and wounding six, two seriously.
Immediately, he moved in, groping in the darkness to tend to the wounded and, eventually, remained all night with the seriously wounded in order to care for, and guard, them. Bill Clark displayed such courage and devotion to his duty and to fellow Rangers repeatedly during all the engagements of the Battalion.
Upon his return home Bill Clark became a police officer in Washington, D.C. After serving on both the vice and auto squads for some years. He retired as Detective Sergeant.
He died 16 February 1992 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
The awards of the Silver Star, Purple Heart with cluster, and Bronze Star with cluster, attest to the actions of William C. Clark, and his exemplification of a Ranger Medic.
RANGERS LEAD THE WAY!!!
WWII - European Theater of Operations/Normandy Campaign (1944)/Operation Overlord/D-Day Airborne Landings
From Month/Year
June / 1944
To Month/Year
June / 1944
Description
The American airborne landings in Normandy were the first United States combat operations during Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy by the Western Allies on June 6, 1944. Around 13,100 paratroopers of the U.S. 82nd Airborne and 101st Airborne Divisions made night parachute drops early on D-Day, June 6, followed by 3,937 glider troops flown in by day. As the opening maneuver of Operation Neptune (the assault operation for Overlord) the American airborne divisions were delivered to the continent in two parachute and six glider missions.
Both divisions were part of the U.S. VII Corps and provided it support in its mission of capturing Cherbourg as soon as possible to provide the Allies with a port of supply. The specific missions of the airborne divisions were to block approaches into the vicinity of the amphibious landing at Utah Beach, to capture causeway exits off the beaches, and to establish crossings over the Douve River at Carentan to assist the U.S. V Corps in merging the two American beachheads.
The assault did not succeed in blocking the approaches to Utah for three days. Numerous factors played a part, most of which dealt with excessive scattering of the drops. Despite this, German forces were unable to exploit the chaos. Many German units made a tenacious defense of their strong-points, but all were systematically defeated within the week.
