Page 108 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2020- Online Magazine

Clarence Mason
A Family History of

Service
by Larry A. Williams

had two sisters. Bill Glasgow, Scotland on July 12, 1944.
was a rancher (sheep After a short time, we were put on
and cattle), and Maggie a train to Southampton, England.”
was a homemaker.
According to Clarence, Private Mason was on his way
“The Depression hit us to the battlefield in France. “We
in 1931. We couldn’t sell were loaded on a ship to cross
our cattle for several the English Channel and landed
years. I started school in on Omaha Beach the middle of
Eden, Texas. We moved July. I was assigned to Company
around some and G, 358th Regiment, 90th Infantry
wound up in Snyder Division. We moved out and
where I graduated high kept moving around.” Mason
school (11th grade in was right in the middle of what
those days). I played all came to be called the “Normandy
sports and participated Breakout.” The Allies had been
in stock shows. I bogged down in the area since the
larence Mason, who served enlisted in the Army D-Day landing on June 6, 1944.
in the Army during WWII, Air Corps in Lubbock on January Germany had occupied Alençon
Chad a lot to live up to when 8, 1944, hoping to be a pilot but since June 1940; it was the first
it came to his family’s history of washed out because of being French city to be liberated by the
service. He proudly declared color blind. There was a need for French Army on August 12, 1944.
that his great-great uncle fought infantry troops, so they put me in Clarence continued, “At first, we
at the Alamo. His great-great the Army.” moved south to Le Mans, then
grandfather fought at the Battle came back north. The Germans
of San Jacinto, the defining battle Mason was sent to Camp Wolters were retreating. We went through
against Mexico’s Santa Anna and near Mineral Wells for 17 weeks of several small towns and on to
his army. His great grandfather basic and infantry training. For a Alençon where we bivouacked.
fought for the Confederacy during while during WWII, the camp was Alençon, due west of Paris, was
the Civil War. Two of his brothers the largest infantry replacement a strategic railroad center for
also served during WWII; both training center in the United States. the Germans. The Free French
were in the Army Air Corps. One When Clarence arrived in early 2nd Armored moved out to help
brother, Raleigh, was a tail gunner 1944, the Army needed plenty of liberate Paris. We stayed about
in a B-25 bomber with the 13th replacements. “After training, we three days and moved out again
Air Force. He flew on 60 missions headed to Ft. Meade in Maryland. and wound up in what was called
until his plane was shot down over We stayed there for two or three the Falaise Gap.”
Italy, and he was a prisoner of war days and then were sent to Camp
in Germany until the end of the Kilmer in New Jersey.” The August 17, 1944 turned out to
war. His other brother, Raymond, camp was named for famed poet be the last day of fighting for
was stationed in the Philippines Joyce Kilmer who was killed in Clarence. Recalling the deadly
and helped to build airports and action during WWI. Troops were fighting, Clarence remarked, “If I
runways for allied planes. Clarence quartered there before being had known we were going to be hit
said, “All of us brothers were color sent to the European Theater. “I by over 200,000 Germans, I would
blind, so we couldn’t be pilots.” shipped out on the Queen Elizabeth, have been scared as hell! We were
which had been converted to a hit by an artillery barrage. I was
troop carrier, with about 25,000 hit by shrapnel in my left ankle. I
Born on November 21, 1924, troops on July 2, 1944. The trip
Clarence was the youngest son of across took 10 days. We arrived in crawled back to a medic and was
Bill and Maggie Mason. He also sent to a little field hospital behind

108 Senior Link