Major Ronald Carley Gets Into ‘Stars & Stripes’ Weekly
Stars & Stripes Weekly—In the liaison tent news of the big attack down Highway 6 toward Cassino came in like precinct returns on election night. The liaison officers, sitting on a canvas cot, on C ration cases and on a litter borrowed from the medics, waited for each bit of news and then rushed to field phones to call it in to their units.
The first news—the beginning of the heavy artillery barrage—announced itself, and was, promptly answered by German shelling a few yards away.
Most of the reports were read aloud by Major George F. Addison, Salem, Mass., liaison officer for the tank forces involved in the action. “The artillery’s got the Nebelwerfer,” he said. “That’s for me,” exclaimed Second Lieutenant Merrill, Houston, Texas, whose tank outfit was scheduled to cross it’s line of fire. In between reports the officers talked and waited.
First Lieutenant Robert Vernon, Cedar Rapids, Ia., was busy marking in the ridge lines in red and the river lines in blue on his map.
“As the infantry troops crossed their initial phase lines, the news came in and was promptly phoned out in familiar military double-talk. “The infantry has left those two things I told you about,” was the way Major Ronald Carley, LeMars, Ia., told his headquarters that the second phase lines has been passed.
Source: LeMars Globe-Post, March 27, 1944 (photo included)
Major Ronald Carley Completes 17 Years Service in Army.
LeMars Major With 34th Division in Italy.
Major Ronald R. Carley, of LeMars, completed his 34th month overseas with the 34th Division on Dec. 18, 1944.
(34th Division Photo, by Pvt. George L. Friedman)
With the Fifth Army, Italy—(Special to The Globe-Post):
Major Ronald R. Carley, who left his home in LeMars, Iowa, with Company K, 133rd Infantry in the pre-Pearl Harbor days when America was just starting to build her mighty war machine, recently marked his 17th year of service in the armed forces.
Now a member of the 34th “Red Bull” infantry division’s general staff, Major Carley spent 14 of those years in the Iowa National Gurad, and 34 months overseas with the veteran midwest division.
When the National Guard was mobilized into Federal service on February 10, 1941, Major Carley was a second lieutenant and accompanied Company K to Camp Claiborne, La., as a platoon leader. While in training at Claiborne, he was promoted to first lieutenant and when his unit sailed for North Ireland in February 1942, he received his captain’s bars during the sea voyage. He became a Major during the Tunisian campaign.
When he left the United States, Major Carley was assigned to battalion headquarters. Later he moved up to regimental headquarters and at Anzio beachhead was assigned to division headquarters. During the fierce fighting this summer while the Red Bull division was battering into the approaches to the Gothic line, he became acting head of a staff section. In this role he is playing a vital part in the Fifth Army’s Italian campaign.
Major Carley’s wife resides at 208 Sixth avenue SW, LeMars.
Source: LeMars Globe-Post, January 1, 1945 (photo included)
Ronald Raymond Carley was born Apr. 14, 1909 to Francis Clifton and Florence M. Clarke Carley. He died Nov. 9, 2001 and is buried in Memorial Cemetery, LeMars, IA.
Source: ancestry.com
