Clarence Roland Van Allen

Clarence Roland Van Allen’s Personal Narrative was derived from information found in public records, military personnel files, and local/state historical association materials. Please note that the Robb Centre never fully closes the book on our servicemembers; as new information becomes available, narratives will be updated to appropriately represent the life story of each veteran.

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Military Honor(s):

Distinguished Service Cross

Citation: The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Private Clarence R. Van Allen (ASN: 2337012), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company L, 372d Infantry Regiment, 93d Division, A.E.F., near Bussy Farm. France, 28 September 1918. Private Van Allen, unassisted, rushed an enemy machine-gun, putting it out of action and capturing three prisoners.

Medaille Militaire 3R

Croix de Guerre with Bronze Palm

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Life & Service

  • Birth: 28 July 1883, Newton Middlesex, MA, United States
  • Place of Residence: Boston, MA, United States
  • Race/Ethnicity: African American
  • Death: 29 November 1964 Boston, MA, United States
  • Branch: Army
  • Military Rank: Private
  • Company: [L]
  • Infantry Regiment: 372nd
  • Division: 93rd

Personal Narrative

Early Life (Pre-War): Includes general parent information, sibling information, education Toggle Accordion

Clarence Roland Van Allen was born to Frank D. (?-?) and Elizabeth Ann Johnson (1860-?) on 28 July 1883 in Newton, Middlesex, Massachusetts. Van Allen had one younger sister, Pearletta Bell (1887-?). The children attended school in Newton, where Clarence graduated from in 1901. Van Allen traveled Massachusetts into his twenties, working a series of odd-jobs, including waiting and painting; on 16 November 1913, he married Margaret Mason (1891-1926) in Boston. The couple would have two children, Beatrice (1910-?) and Charles Roland (1911-1985).

Service: Includes a summary of transfers, rank change(s), training, enlistment, and discharge locations Toggle Accordion

Van Allen enlisted in the U.S. Army on 31 March 1917; Private First Class Van Allen and Company L, 372nd Infantry Regiment, left Newport News, Virginia on 30 March 1918 aboard the U.S. Army Transport Ship Susquehanna, arriving in Brest, France on 6 April. Then-Private Van Allen received the Distinguished Service Cross, Croix de Guerre with Bronze Palm, and Medaille Militaire (3R, formally received in July of 1919) for his actions near Bussy Farm, France on 28 September 1918;

“The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Private Clarence R. Van Allen (ASN: 2337012), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company L, 372d Infantry Regiment, 93d Division, A.E.F., near Bussy Farm. France, 28 September 1918. Private Van Allen, unassisted, rushed an enemy machine-gun, putting it out of action and capturing three prisoners.” WD, G.O. No. 13.

Private Van Allen returned to the United States in January of 1919, and was Honorably Discharged as a Corporal on 27 February 1919.

Service: Act of Valor Toggle Accordion

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Later Life (Post-War): Includes post-war education, occupation, marriage(s) and/or children, location and date of death Toggle Accordion

Upon his return home, Van Allen operated a barber shop in Boston; in 1925, Van Allen began working as a runner for the Massachusetts State House of Representatives. After his first wife’s death in 1926, Van Allen married Christine Elizabeth Leo Lightfoot (1900-1966), a divorcee, on 14 December 1927 and became stepfather to Frances Waneta Lightfoot (1920-2005). The couple had one daughter, Claire Annette (1936-?). Van Allen continued to work for the State House until his retirement in the 1950s; he died on 29 November 1964, and is buried in Mount Hope Cemetery, Boston, Massachusetts.