Posted in

Help me find the family of Clarence L. Hagen.

by TSO••67

I’m trying to draft up a response to the neverending Cease and Desist letters we get here at TAH HQ.  I fricken hate lawyers.  When in walks a friend who places a Silver Star and a Purple Heart on my desk, and asks me to find the family.  Screw the lawyer stuff, I’m shifting to the Lord’s work.

Clarence L. Hagen was a hero, a Marine, a Minnesotan, and our brother.  And he died June 17, 1944.  But he didn’t die alone.

The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Private First Class Clarence L. Hagen (MCSN: 882176), United States Marine Corps Reserve, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while serving with the Third Battalion, Sixth Marines, SECOND Marine Division in action against enemy Japanese forces on Saipan Island, Marianas Islands on 17 June 1944. Courageous and aggressive in the face of terrific fire from Japanese guns, Private First Class Hagen, landing on Saipan with the assault wave, pushed his way forward despite fierce enemy resistance and had advanced several yards beyond the beach when his platoon was pinned down by fire from an enemy machine gun. Voluntarily exposing himself to the intense hostile fire, he succeeded in destroying the Japanese Machine gun and its crew thereby enabling his platoon to reorganize and continue the advance before he was mortally wounded. By his unwavering devotion to duty and determination, Private First Class Hagen contributed materially to the ultimate success of this vital campaign. His exemplary conduct was in keeping with the highest traditions of the Unites States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.

General Orders: Commander in Chief, Pacific: Serial 1508 (February 22, 1945)

Action Date: June 17, 1944

Service: Marine Corps

Rank: Private First Class

Battalion: 3d Battalion

Regiment: 6th Marines

Division: 2d Marine Division

 

This is his Silver Star and his purple heart, along with a note from a WONDERFUL MAN named Ed in Maine, who writes

Hope you can locate family. Tried in East x Maine x No luck. Found in abandoned truck.

Silver Star

I want to know a family contact, and want it yesterday. And I won’t mail this, because I’m not letting it out of my sight until it is either with the family, or a museum. Because he was our brother, and we need to look out for each other, even if it is just a medal from 70 years after we pass. That’s what we truly served for.

You might also like

Still Stupid After All These Years

Obama in his own world

CBO recommends ending “concurrent receipt”

67 thoughts on “Help me find the family of Clarence L. Hagen.”

  3. This is one of those times where if we had unlimited access to a site like ancestry.com (sadly, I do not) this job might be a bit easier.

  4. I have family up in south Maine and can ask on FB.
    They are tied to the LE community. Maybe that will help.

  5. NHSparky, I have a paid account on Ancestry. Let me check. The problem is that living people are often hidden.

  9. TSO–what part of Maine did you get this from, if I may ask? Perhaps I can contact some of the PD’s there or access some public records if they’re anywhere from, say, Portland or points south.

  14. Okay, I see where the folks who found them had no luck, TSO, but perhaps if there was a plate on the truck (unlikely, I know) the local LEO’s could trace to last known owner based on registration.

  15. More from number 11. Mother was Mary Leinhold (divorced), from Cook, Illinois. Seems she passed away in 1985. Note sure if PFC Hagen had no wife/children so I’m looking for any leads I can find from his mother’s relations.

  16. Passed it along to any family I have. My nephew is a Marine and I should also pass it along to folks on my wife’s side of the family too. Marines and Navy there.
    I posted it on the Stolen Valor page as well.
    I’m sure the internet and the communities can generate some leads!

  20. Clarence L Hagen b 1925 to Clarence and Carla Hagen Albert Lea MN. Died June 17 1944. He has living nieces and nephews I can contact on ancestry.com. and yes I have unlimited access, paid member of the the site. I am messaging family member now.

  23. Posted this to some friends in Minnesota asking that they will share it with friends there…hope you can find them!

  26. @20 If that doesn’t pan out, looks like his step-father’s name was Nick Leinhold.

    Looks as though his mother went through a few name changes. She was known as Clara Jensen -> Clara Hagen -> Mary Hagen, then Mary Leinhold.

  27. Just my 2 cents worth, but apparently Hagen may have had a wife and child at the time of his death. In my book, they and their descendants are the ones who should have first claim on these medals.

    Hagen’s records at NARA might well contain information identifying his spouse and child; however, I don’t know if that info would normally be releasable under the FOIA. And accessing archival records generally ain’t without cost; that’s why we don’t have Pequignot’s posted here at TAH (his records are archival and NARA wanted what I thought was a fairly steep fee to retrieve them).

    However, if the USMC requested Hagan’s records from NARA that might be a different issue. Among the services, the USMC proverbially prays at the altar of honor. I think if anyone here has a good contact at HQMC – particularly among the more senior NCOs stationed there – that might be just the ticket.

    Again: just my opinion, and YMMV.

  28. Hi,
    I found his family on ancestry.com and sent a note to them. This Clarence has the same death date and is from Freeborn County, Minnesota. Hope this works out ok. If you want more info, contact me.

  29. @22 Does it have the name of his wife on there? We can’t see the info on that link unless we have a membership.

  32. If those sources don’t get you what you need – so to http://www.marineheritage.org. That is the Marine Corps history museum. I was looking for records on my Uncle Frank – who was also part of the 3rd Battalion/6th Marine Div and made the ultimate sacrifice on Okinawa. (I wonder if they knew one another?)

    They were really great at getting me Uncle Frank’s original casualty card with complete information – including NOK.

    Thanks for the work you are doing!!

    Barb

  33. if you don’t find info for his family, try a couple of things. 1) send e-mail link with this hero’s story to ; Howard “Buck” McKeon, Chairman of the Armed Services Committee. If he or his staff can’t pull out military information that can help, no one can.
    2) Marine Hagen would have had military life insurance. Someone would have collected when told he was killed.
    3) There is a Social Security Death Index, it may help find who may have collected any benefits.

  34. Has anyone stopped to consider that maybe the family had them in the first place and didn’t care enough to try and find them once they junked the truck?

    I mean, obviously the veteran wasn’t the one who had them considering he was dead, so somebody would have gotten them for him. Which could have been family, who ended up just leaving them in some old truck and junking it.

    Just thinking, maybe it’d be better off going to a museum.

  35. @34 considered but want to verify that before I donate to museum. Truck could have been stolen with belongings for all we know. But I will proceed with open cautious mind.

  36. I can contribute nothing but my increased admiration for the caring humans that frequent this blog.

  37. I know someone at HQMC and passed the info along. Don’t know if it’ll pan out, but he’s an officer that might get somewhere with this.

    At least you’re looking. Yeah, maybe they might have left them behind, but it’s better to find out than not care at all!

  38. Friends: CPT Zachariah Fike, an active duty Vermont National Guardsman, operates a 501(C) (3) program called “Purple Hearts Reunited” which specializes in locating the living family members of lost or stolen Purple Heart medals. He sets up a special presentation ceremony that includes a return of ALL the medals the individual was entitled to as well as an American Flag that has been appropriately flown, all within a special presentation case. I would recommend that you and/or your friends contact CPT Fike for advice on setting up an appropriate ceremony for the family of Clarence Hagen. Zac can be reached by phone at (315) 523-3609 or by email at crossfitnation(at)hotmail(dot)com.

  40. I used to live on Saipan, not a place I would want to fight a battle… The Higgins boats and a couple tanks are still rusting away on the reefs. God bless the Marines that took that beach.

  42. Hagan, Clarence L. (b. 06 JUN 1924, d. 17 JUN 1944)

    Census: Date: 1930
    Place: MN,Freeborn Co. Roll 1087, Bk 1, Pg 72

  43. @25 Not sure that’s the right Clarence Hagen. If those dates are right then he would have only been 10 years old when his son was born.

  45. I checked NARA Online. Records available are for the US Army & Reserve enlistments 1936-1945, Navy Intel (China).

  46. I searched NARA Online. Records available are for the US Army & Reserve enlistments 1936-1945, Navy Intel (China).

  47. This story just increases my admiration for those who frequent this site. It would be an absolute honor to be present when you pass the awards to the nest of kin.

  48. @27 & 37: I’ve got feelers out at HQMC already, and will coontact the PAO to perhaps lend a hand on Monday. I got this story a little late today, so my initial calls to Manpower were placed a little late in the day. Perhaps we can dredge up enough adequate information to find a family member soon. I will also push to get actual records released. Not sure where that will lead.

  49. Woe you guys are quick looking stuff up!!,, I found a little info. He was in 1st BN RTR and then Inf Training at campElliot in Oct 1943. He was assigned to a CASREPCO with an FPO Sa Fran Address in Jan 1944.

Comments are closed.