Clifford Leon Vandiver Written by his brother, Willis Vandiver

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Military Service

After WWII started in Europe, the United States passed the prewar draft law. Clifford was 32 years of age and single. Consequently, he was one of the first to be drafted. He served the required year in the army and was eligible for discharge by November 1941. However, the army would not discharge him until he could produce a birth certificate. As previously mentioned, his birth was not on record in Missouri where he was born. As a result, it took some weeks to go through the legal procedure to obtain a birth certificate. In the meantime, Pearl Harbor was bombed and all military personnel were frozen in the service. So we can understand how the circumstances of his birth may have had a bearing on his death in a combat zone 37 years later.

The details of his years in combat are sketchy to say the least. His letters home were matter of fact mainly to let his family know he was still o.k. In a letter to sister, Mae, he stated, "We left Port Lewis, Washington, the 19th of February, 1942, and got here (Fort Dix, N.J.) February 25th at noon. We are going overseas but don't know where. We are drawing clothing for a tropical climate." Later in the same letter he mentioned that he had made corporal on the 14th of February and that his salary had gone up to $24 per month.

By October 3rd, 1942, he was in Australia and wrote in a letter to his sister-in-law, Artise, "Can you imagine Christmas in mid-summer? We are getting accustomed to reversed seasons and driving on the left side of the road."

By that time censorship of military personnel's mail was in effect. Men stationed in fighting zones were not allowed to tell where they were. In another letter to Artise a month later, November 11th, he had written, "It hardly seems possible that Morris (Herschel and Artise's oldest son) is old enough to go to school." Later in the same letter, "According to the latest news dispatch the turning point of the war has come. Here's hoping Hitler will not be able to sleep so sound from now on."

Clifford, like the rest of us, couldn't foresee that WWII was just getting well started.

Artise received another letter dated January 19, 1943. He was then a Staff Sergeant as his letter-head confirms, but he never mentioned it in any letters that are now in existence. Staff Sergeants were combat leaders directly under the command of the Lieutenants. Cliff, no doubt, was a good leader under those conditions because he was always cool and unshakable in his emotional makeup and had learned how to be independent and reliable during his youth.

We learned sometime later that Cliff was fighting near the villages of Buna and Gona, New Guinea. In another letter he stated that he had a mild case of malaria and was hospitalized for 5 days. He seemed to play his illness down so we at home would not worry. Likely he was quite ill.

Cliff received a lot of mail overseas. Not only because everyone liked him, but in WWII nearly everyone at home supported the War effort and empathized with the fighting men overseas. He answered all his mail, sometimes under very adverse conditions of heat, rain, mud and constant danger as the following unit citation indicates.

Unit Citation

18 December 1944

By direction of the President, under the provision of Executive Order No. 9395 (Section I, Bulletin 22, WD, 1943 and Section 4, Circular No. 353 WD, 1943) The following unit is cited by the commanding general, 41st Infantry Division:

First Battalion, 152nd Infantry regiment is cited for outstanding performance of duty against the enemy near Salamaua, New Guinea, from 29 June to 12 September 1943. On 29 and 30 June 1943 this battalion landed at Nassau Bay, New Guinea one of the first amphibious operations by American forces in the Southwest Pacific area, on a beach held by the enemy and during a severe storm which destroyed 90% of the landing craft able to reach the beach. Moving inland through deep swamps, crossing swift rivers, cutting its way through dense jungle, over steep ridges, carrying by hand all weapons, ammunition and food, assisted by only a limited number of natives, this battalion was in contact with the enemy for 74 consecutive days without rest or relief. All operations after the initial landing were far inland. Living conditions were most severe due to constant rain, mud, absence of any shelter, tenacious enemy and mountainous terrain. The supply of rations, ammunition and equipment was meager. For five weeks all personnel lived on rations dropped by airplane, for days at a time on half rations. Individual cooking was necessary throughout the period. Malaria and battle casualties greatly depleted their ranks, but at no time was there a let up in morale or determination to destroy the enemy. Each officer and enlisted man was called upon to courage and stamina. The battalion killed 584 Japanese during this period while suffering casualties of 11 officers and 176 enlisted men. Cutting the Japanese supply lines near Mube, exerting constant pressure on his flank the valiant and sustained efforts of this battalion were in a large part instrumental in breaking enemy resistance and forcing him to withdraw from Salamaua on 12 September 1943. The first battalion 162nd infantry regiment has established a worthy combat record in keeping with the high tradition of the United States Army.

Kenneth B. Sweeney, Colonel

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