Marvin Ragland

ASN:O-1171328

Bronze Star Medal

Ragland, Mavin L., 2nd Lt. BSM, GO 35, July 15, 1944.

Marvin L. Ragland, 319th Glider Field Artillery Battalion, for heroic conduct in action on 19 June, 1944, in the vicinity of Vindefontaine, France. Lt. Ragland, while serving as a forward observer, directed the artillery fire of his battalion and maintained radio communications under constant enemy shelling and small arms fire. Despite Enemy mortar and automatic weapons fire, he stayed with the advanced elements of the attacking infantry to direct artillery fire where it was needed, thereby greatly assisting the infantry in accomplishing their mission. AT the river crossing he waded the stream, which was approximately five feet deep and fifty feet wide. And carried his communications equipment in order to stay with the attacking elements. His knowledge of artillery, together with his coolness and bravery under fire, was an example and an inspiration to the men working with him. Entered military service from Hutchinson, Kansas.

Photo Gallery

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1st Lt. Marvin Ragland - Laon, France - 1945

1st Lt. Marvin Ragland

Milton Weidner, Thurman King, Marvin Ragland - Naples, Italy - 1943

1st Lt. Marvin Ragland - near Hurtgen, Germany

Marvin Ragland (L and Marvin Fellman

(L-R) James Rosati, James Russell, Dave Stelow, Marvin Ragland, Stephen Palmisano, Roland Gruebling, Rene Picher - The Ardennes - 1944

1st Lt. Marvin Ragland - Epinal, France - 1945

Captain Charles Sartain (L) and 1st Lt. Marvin Ragland

1st Lt. Marvin Ragland (with field phone) - artillery training in Wales, 1944

John Gutshall (L-R) Charles Sartain and Marvin Ragland - Papillon Hall - September 1944

John Gutshall (L-R) Laurence Cook, Joseph Mullen, Marvin Fellman, Marvin Ragland, Charles Sartain -at the airport before the Holland campaign

ragland, cargill, cook, torgersonNormandy44 3.jpg

Top (L-R) James Velasco, Richard Johnson, Marvin Ragland, George Cole, Laurence Cook, Richard Zagrodzky, Front (L-R) Frank Kondratick, Joe Mullen, Marvin Fellman, Howard Fichtner, Felix Greene - 1945

1st Lt. Marvin Ragland - standing 5th from the right - Lubtheen, Germany - 1945

Standing L-R; Ruben Engle, Felix Greene, X, Irving Gelb, Marvin Ragland, John Gutshall, Harold Peters, Laurence Cook, Richard Kondratick, James Velasco, Richard Zagrodzky, George Cole, Marvin Fellman, Howard Fichtner; Seated L-R; James Lewis, Charles Sartain, Andrew Hawkins, Robert Cargile, Frederick Silvey, James Todd, Jerry Wimberley, John Connelly, Wilson Bourgeois, X, Howard Dibble - Epinal, France - June 1945

STL Archive Records

Marvin Ragland, 91, died June 11, 2011. God bless this hero.