Conrad Edgar Olson

  Research Notes:

** See, research article, "Conrad Edgar Olson, World War II research notes"
Location: my computer, file folder under his father, Carl Edward Olson (Esten Olsen Narjord)

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1. Death and Burial Dates

- birth and death dates from www.cem.va.gov
- burial date from www.interment.net
- it is not clear why the date of death and burial is a difference of about 5 years

1b. 1940 US Census - Mayville, Trail Co, ND [ abt 50 kms south and a bit west of Grand Forks ]

- Olga Olson, head of household
- Conrad, son, single, age 18 born in MN; attended school since 1 Mar 1940 at 2 yr of High School; worked 15 wks in 1939 as a labor on the farm; earned $130

-- residence as of 1 Apr 1935 - Rural, Otter Tail Co, MN


2. US Marine Corps

- PFC - Private First Class

3. US National Archives - casualties of WW II; 30 Jun 1944

- information from the Dept of Navy, Bureau of Naval Personal (1942-09-18 to 1947)
- men on active duty whose death resulted directly from enemy action or operational activities
- listing: Olson, Conrad E, PFC, USMC; mother, Mrs Olga Olson, Box 294, Mayville, ND
[ Trail Co; abt 50 kms south and a bit west of Grand Forks, ND ]

3. a. from Ancestry.com; US Rosters of WW II Dead;

- Service Number 380279



5. email from John Oberg, 16 Jan 2010

++ son, Conrad Edgar Olson, died in 1944 while on active service during World War II


" you or has anybody you know researched what branch of service this Conrad was in and the circumstances of his death?

This is the first reference I have seen to the service and death of somebody who could be termed a 'family member killed in WWII' which is the rumor / myth / unsubstantiated report of what my aunt Esther Margaret Oberg (93 year old daughter of Esther Ovidia Olson Oberg; and thus a granddaughter of Oliver Olson) used to tell me about. She told me that story 3 or 4 times back in the 60's, 70's and 80's. Nowadays, at age 93, she is not a good source of information. "

[ 17 Jan 2010 - I sent John a Descendant Report and Relationship Chart ]

6. email from John Oberg, 28 Sep 2010

I have made a little progress with finding more about my Olson relative in the US Marines. After some 8 years, this past January / February 2010, I found the name of Conrad Edgar Olson (thanks again for sending me some very useful info about him).
Recently, I began looking for any living relative of Conrad's, and I found a Betty Radcliff...
(Joe and Betty Radcliff, 709 Noble Street, Marshalltown, Iowa 50158-3064; ) ...
...who is now about 90 years of age. She is the daughter of Carl Edward Olson's son (by his first wife Hannah Holbeck, daughter of Peder and Ingeborg Holbeck) Arnie Elmer Olson. [ 30 Sep 2010 - should be Alvin Elmer Olson ]
Since Arnie and Conrad (a child between Carl Edward Olson and his second wife Olga Lyng) were step-brothers, I calculate that Betty Radcliffe is a first cousin by marriage to Conrad. (Is that calculation correct?) [ 30 Sept 2010 - Conrad Edgar Olson would be the uncle of Betty, not a cousin ] When I phoned Marshalltown about two weeks ago, I spoke with Joe Radcliff (himself a US Navy Seabee at the Battle of Saipan) and, at one point, I heard Betty's voice in the background say, "Oh, yes, Edgar...he was killed in the war." Obviously, she remembered 'my' US Marine!
I have sent her a long letter, containing a lot of the info you provided me (THANKS AGAIN!), and I hope she and Joe can provide me with some useful information. (BTW Joe and Betty Radcliff do not have a computer or email capability! Darn! So I had to rely on 'snail mail' to contact them!
I just phoned Joe and Betty again in Marshalltown to see that they had received my letter, and Joe said, "YES and we are reading through it." I asked whether he had a neighbor or relative nearby who DOES have a computer and email capability. He said, "Yes, but they are quite a ways from here." So, I just thanked him for reading my letter and expressed my hope that he and / or his wife would reply via snail mail. "Okay," he answered.



7. email from John Oberg, 2 Jan 2011 [also see some research notes article for new/additional information]

CONRAD EDGAR OLSON.



He was the son of Carl Edward and Olga Lyng Olson. This Carl Edward Olson was the youngest brother of Oliver Olson, my great-grandfather.
Turns out that Conrad Edgar Olson was a PFC in the US Marine Corps and was in a unit
named Weapons, 4th Platoon, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division. I now know he was at the Battle of Tarawa (November, 1943) before going to the Battle of Saipan, where he was killed by a sniper on 30 June 1944.
Via a very long story...told in short form here, I have actually had correspondence with a
fellow on Staten Island, New York (close to the Statue of Liberty) who was with Conrad
when Conrad was shot. I plan to write to the old Marine on Staten Island to try and get more information, but that is what I have learned. I have also been promised by a very interesting guy down in the Florida Keys that he will try to get me (using some sort of classified access privilege he has) a copy of Conrad Edgar Olson's military history sometime in January or February ... shortly before he returns to Tarawa to conduct some research there into certain lingering questions associated with the Battle of Tarawa.

8. American Memorial Park, Saipan, Northern Marianas Islands [ in the Pacific, not abt 2000+ km east of the Philippines; about 300 kms north of Guam ]

http://www.nps.gov/archive/amme/court_of_honor/alpha_o.htm

Court of Honor Names Of The Deceased
Alphabetical Listing All Units And Battles Combined


Olson, Conrad Edgar, PFC U.S. MARINE CORPS, 2ND MARINE DIVISION Plate 5 Column 2, Battle of Saipan; plate 5,


5. Research links


A.

Battle of Saipan
http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/USMC-C-Saipan/index.html [ abt 2/3 on the page; 16 June 2012 ]

Near Garapan, about 500 yards to the front of the 2d Marines' lines, an enemy platoon on what was named "Flame Tree Hill" was well dug in, utilizing the caves masked by the bright foliage on the hill. The morning of 29 June, a heavy artillery barrage as well as machine gun and mortar fire raked the slopes of the hill. Then friendly mortars laid a smoke screen. This was followed by a pause in all firing. As hoped, the enemy raced from their caves to repel the expected attack. Suddenly the mortars lobbed high explosives on the hill. Artillery shells equipped with time fuses and machine gun and rifle fire laid down another heavy barrage. The enemy, caught in the open, was wiped out almost to a man.
To the right, the 6th Marines mopped up its area and now held the most commanding ground, with all three of its battalions in favorable positions. In fact, since replacement drafts had not yet arrived, the 2d Marine Division had all three of its infantry regiments deployed on line. Thus it was necessary for its commander, Major General Watson, to organize a division reserve from support units.
The pressure on manpower was further illustrated by the fact that, in this difficult terrain, "eight stretcher bearers were needed to evacuate one wounded Marine." In addition, there was, of course, the deep-seated psychological and physical pressure from the constant, day after day, close combat. "Every one on the island felt the weight of fatigue settling down."

D+15 (30 June) marked a good day for the Army. After fierce fighting, the 27th Infantry Division finally burst through Death Valley, captured Purple Heart Ridge, and drew alongside the 8th Marines. Holland Smith gave due recognition: "No one had any tougher job to do." The gaps on the flanks with the 2d and 4th Marine Divisions were now closed. In doing so, the Army had sustained most of the 1,836 casualties inflicted upon it since D-Day. The 4th Marine Division, however, had suffered 4,454 casualties to date, while the 2d Marine Division had lost 4,488 men.


B. saved on my computer file folder (Conrad Olson - Carl Olson - Esten Olsen Narjord)

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/07/05/national/history/battle-saipan-brutal-invasion-claimed-55000-lives/#.WFwZRRsrJJ8 ;;


6. John Martin photos [ parents Bryce Martin and Ethelyn Olson] ;;; accessed 1 Oct 2014

https://www.flickr.com/photos/john_martin/sets/72157632576191049/

- one photo of : 329 Platoon, USMC (US Marine Corps) - San Diego, 1942 ; but difficult to make out Edgar ^{3026,3252,3253}

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Residence - 1940, 1 Apr 1940, Mayville, Traill Co, North Dakota, United States. ³²³⁵ Enumeration on 4&5 Apr 1940

2. Military Service: as a Private First Class, US Marine Corps; Killed in Action, 31 Mar 1942-30 Jun 1944, United States. ³²⁵⁴ Conrad was a Field Radio Operator with H&S Co, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, FMF [Fleet Marine Force], Weapons Co (4th Platoon). He was Killed in Action on 30 Jun 1944 at the Battle of Saipan, Marianas Islands. He had enlisted on 31 mar 1942