Walter & Mary Ogden Family Reunion

Ted Ross Ogden

Richfield, Utah - Army - European Theater

My father, Ted Ross Ogden, left for training at Camp Roberts, Calif., April 12, 1944. He had returned from an LDS Mission the previous April and married Lois Sorensen in June 1943. While he was at Camp Roberts I was born and he was able to get a two-week leave in July to return to Richfield to see his family.

Training at Camp Roberts was not fun; it included miles of marching in California’s 100-degree summer with full field pack, rifle and steel helmets. More training consisted of firing their new rifles, carbines, mortars and machine guns. They listened to lectures on first aid and scouting. They ran through various combat courses, crawling under machine gun fire and wore themselves out on obstacle courses and drills. By the time they graduated in September they were supposed to be soldiers and report to the front lines in Europe as infantrymen.

Again in September he was given another two-week leave before reporting to Fort Meade, Maryland, in October. Fort Meade was a staging area for soldiers being shipped overseas. They drew all new equipment and had orientation again and again, about insurance, mail and in general how to behave in a foreign country. Nov. 10, he boarded the USS Wakefield headed for—who knew where.

About Nov. 17 he landed in Liverpool, England, boarded a train and passed through London on a cold, rainy night, then boarded another ship and crossed the English Channel into France. There they saw the first real evidence of the havoc of war: sunken ships by the dozens and wrecked landing boats which GIs only a short time before had staged their invasion.

The following days seemed like a bad dream, realizing that he was closing in on the battle. It was a strange country; he was bewildered, scared and homesick. More and more he was realizing the war was real and he was in the middle of it. Then there were days and nights of travel in cold and leaking boxcars. It was bitter cold and some nights were spent in tents trying to get what heat they could by building a small fire in a tin can. There was evidence of bombings everywhere.

A letter written Nov. 24 places him “somewhere in France”. More letters were written on Dec. 1^st and 4^th again from “somewhere in France”. A letter written Dec. 6 states he was in the 314^th Infantry, 79^th Division. His last letter written Dec. 7 said he most likely wouldn’t be anyplace to mail a letter for while.

In the brutal rain and snowstorm the 79^th Division fought the battle of Haguenau in Alsace Loraine Dec. 9.

On Dec. 21 my mother and her friends, whose husbands were also gone, were having a Christmas party when her family brought her the dreaded telegram from the War Department with the message, “We regret to inform you that your husband, Pvt. Ted Ross Ogden, was killed in action Dec. 9, 1944.”

Further information received by our family states that on Dec. 8, Ted had joined “B” Company of the 79^th Division, which was part of Lt. Gen. Patch’s 7^th Army. On the morning of Dec. 9, 1944, Company “B” launched an attack against strong enemy defenses in a wooded area in eastern France, and in the course of fighting Ted was killed instantly by enemy fire.

At the time Ted was killed the army was unable to send his remains home for burial and he was buried in a military cemetery at Hochfelden, France. At that time there was a memorial service held the Richfield LDS Tabernacle in his honor.

On Dec. 7, 1948, Ted’s body arrived at the Richfield train depot with a military escort. I can remember some things about this time of my life. I can remember it was a sad time for my mother. I can also remember his casket in my grandparents’ living room during the funeral service.

The part I remember most is hearing “Taps” being played and hearing the gun salute. Whenever I attend a veteran service I always think of that day.

Our family had been given two flags by the American Legion—one when the memorial service was held, and one when my father’s remains were brought home in 1948.

On Veterans’ Day, Nov. 11, 1954, I, along with my mother, my grandmother and other family members, presented Richfield High School with the flag that had covered my father’s casket.

I can remember that for several years I was very proud to be able to see that flag flying on the flagpole on the RHS circle.

As for the other flag, my husband and I are honored to be able to raise it at the Richfield Cemetery each Memorial Day. It has now been 65 years since my family received that telegram on a cold December day.

(Ted Ogden was a son of the late Walter and Mary Ogden. His widow, Lois Ogden and his daughter, Patricia Meacham, who submitted this story, reside in Glenwood.)