This Military Service Page was created/owned by
MAJ Mark E Cooper
to remember
McElveen, Clifford D., SFC.
If you knew or served with this Soldier and have additional information or photos to support this Page, please leave a message for the Page Administrator(s) HERE.
SFC Clifford D. McElveen dies of cancer at the age of 56 on 17 November 1981. He was born 12 December, 1924 in Atlanta, Georgia and entered active military service in June 1943. Cliff served in combat with the 1st Special Service Force and continued service with varied Infantry units until the reactivation of Special Forces in 1952. He served with the 10th Special Forces Group in Germany, both Special Forces and 82nd Airborne Division assignments at Fort Bragg before completing his active military service with the 5th Special Forces Group in the Republic of Vietnam, where he served from 1966 to 1968. His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star w/OLC, Meritorious Unit Citation, National Defense Service Medal w/BS, Army Commendation Medal w/3 OLC, Master parachutist Badge, Vietnam Service Medal w/4 BS, Vietnam Campaign Medal w/60 Device, and 4 Battle Stars, Good Conduct Medal w/5 knots, American Theater Ribbon, European African Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon w/4 service stars, WWII Victory Medal, and Vietnamese Jump Wings. He was buried in the Fort Bragg Post Cemetery with full military honors following a memorial service held in the JFK Chapel. Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Ramona L. McElveen, a stepson, Jimmy Z. Petrouski, a son, Clifford D. McElveen, Jr., a daughter, Mrs. Robin M. Quichocho, all of Fayetteville, and his mother, Mrs. Mary A. McElveen of Stanton, VA.
WWII - European Theater of Operations/Rome-Arno Campaign (1944)/Battle of Monte Cassino
From Month/Year
January / 1944
To Month/Year
May / 1944
Description The Battle of Monte Cassino (also known as the Battle for Rome and the Battle for Cassino) was a costly series of four assaults by the Allies against the Winter Line in Italy held by Axis forces during the Italian Campaign of World War II. The intention was a breakthrough to Rome.
At the beginning of 1944, the western half of the Winter Line was being anchored by Germans holding the Rapido, Liri, and Garigliano valleys and some of the surrounding peaks and ridges. Together, these features formed the Gustav Line. Monte Cassino, a historic hilltop abbey founded in AD 529 by Benedict of Nursia, dominated the nearby town of Cassino and the entrances to the Liri and Rapido valleys, but had been left unoccupied by the German defenders. The Germans had, however, manned some positions set into the steep slopes below the abbey's walls.
Fearing that the abbey did form part of the Germans' defensive line, primarily as a lookout post, the Allies sanctioned its bombing on 15 February and American bombers proceeded to drop 1,400 tons of bombs onto it.[6] The destruction and rubble left by the bombing raid now provided better protection from aerial and artillery attacks, so, two days later, German paratroopers took up positions in the abbey's ruins. Between 17 January and 18 May, Monte Cassino and the Gustav defences were assaulted four times by Allied troops, the last involving twenty divisions attacking along a twenty-mile front. The German defenders were finally driven from their positions, but at a high cost.
