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Remember...Clarence Prager
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Mary Baumgartner Prager and Gottfried (also spelled as Godfrey and known as "Fred") Prager emigrated to the United States from Germany in the 1890s. The family lived in Pennsylvania before moving to Monongalia County, West Virginia. According to Find A Grave links to relatives and Ancestry.com public family trees and records, their children Edward, Albert, Herman and Kathryn were born in Pennsylvania. Their son Clarence was born in West Virginia. Edward served in the military during World War I.
According to the U.S. Federal Census, Mr. and Mrs. Prager were living in Morgantown in 1930 with Herman and Clarence. Mr. Prager was a repairman in a glass factory. Herman was 11 years older than Clarence and already employed as a line worker in a tank field.
City directory records indicate that Clarence Prager continued living in Morgantown in the 1930s. In 1935, Clarence was listed as a bookkeeper, Edward as a laborer, and Herman as a driver. In 1939, Clarence was listed as a laborer, Edward as a carpenter, and Herman as a driver.
In 1940, according to the census, Mr. Prager was still living in Morgantown, with Herman, Clarence, and Kathryn, whose married name was Kelin. Her daughter Jean also lived in the household. Mr. Prager was no longer working. Herman was a salesman and shipping clerk, and Clarence was working in an oil field. Unfortunately, Mary Prager had died of a cerebral embolism in 1936 and was buried in Beverly Hills Memorial Gardens.
After the 1940 census data was taken for the Prager family in April, Mr. Prager passed away in July of a cerebral hemorrhage, a cause similarly stated for Mrs. Prager. He, too, was interred in Beverly Hills Memorial Gardens. That October, Clarence Prager registered for military service.
 Taken in May1944 at the Goscote Hotel, Leicester, England. S/Sgt. Prager (center) is flanked by Mrs. H. Sheppard and Mr. H. Sheppard, proprietors of the hotel. Courtesy 505rct.org |
Clarence Prager was enlisted into military service in Fort Thomas, Kentucky, on April 17, 1942. His military records indicate that he had four years of high school and was working as a salesman at the time of enlistment. He was eventually placed with the 2nd Airborne, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Company I, and was promoted to staff sergeant. It's likely that S/Sgt. Prager fought at Normandy in June 1944 with the 82nd, which was there with 6,000 parachutists and 6,000 glidermen. (Rachel Riley, "82nd Airborne Division Part of D-Day History 75 Years Ago," Fayetteville Observer, 5 June 2019, updated 6 June 2019, accessed 13 June 2021, https://www.fayobserver.com/news/20190605/82nd-airborne-divison-part-of-d-day-history-75-years-ago.) Photos shown on the 82nd Airborne's 505th Regimental Combat Team website include two photos of Clarence Prager. One of them was taken in England on the day before D-Day, so it is likely that he was among those who landed in France. ("Paratroopers of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment," 505th Infantry Regiment, accessed 13 June 2021, http://www.505rct.org/album2/sutherland_d.asp.) The next goals of the Allies were to liberate France and press on to Berlin. |  S/Sgt. Clarence Prager of I Company. Taken in England prior to D-Day 1944. Courtesy 505rct.org |
Operation Market Garden was an attempt to cross the Rhine River and advance deep into Germany. The term Operation Market Garden refers to two plans. The airborne portion was Operation Market. Operation Garden was the portion that involved the press of ground troops. The plan involved the 101st and 82nd U.S. Airborne Divisions and the 1st British Airborne Division and Polish troops. The plan was for the parachute infantry units to drop in or glide into their targets, outflank the German frontier defenses (known as the Siegfried Line) and the armored divisions would push into Germany. The Allies would take strategic bridges, and the result would be the liberation of the Netherlands and a quick, shortened trip toward Berlin.
It was one of the biggest airborne operations in history. According to an article on HistoryNet, on September 17, between "1 and 1:30 p.m., 6,769 men were placed in their correct drop zones with less than 2 percent casualties." (William Wilson, "Operation Market Garden: History's Greatest Airborne Assault," September 1994, accessed 9 June 2021, https://www.historynet.com/operation-market-garden-historys-greatest-airborne-assault.htm.)
While some goals were attained, others were not. It was unknown to Allied forces that German tanks were positioned in the region, and this was an important point to miss. The troops were not armed to deal with tanks. However, on September 17, 1944, when the airborne divisions landed, the first goal was attained with the capture of the first set of bridges. The Allies' northern flank was advanced 65 miles, liberating large parts of Holland and making it possible to reopen the port of Antwerp. (Wilson, "Operation Market Garden"; Benjamin Brimelow, "76 Years Ago, the Allies Launched the Largest Airborne Attack Ever - Here's How It All Went Wrong," Business Insider, 15 September 2020, accessed 22 July 2021, https://www.businessinsider.com/why-wwii-operation-market-garden-failed-to-defeat-german-forces-2020-9.)
The remainder of the mission suffered for lack of sufficient air transports, heavy German opposition, weather, poorly positioned drop zones and lack of anti-tank armory. The hoped-for quick victory would not be accomplished with Operation Market Garden; however, large portions of the Netherlands were freed at a crucial time. Many people faced starvation. Because of this, Dutch people express their gratitude to American and British troops in several ways, including adopting graves and placing plaques to commemorate the bravery of Allied troops. One such American parachutist recognized by his unit and the people of Holland was Clarence Prager. ("Operation Market Garden," National Army Museum, accessed 8 June 2021, https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/market-garden; "Operation Market Garden," Liberation Route Europe, accessed 9 June 2021, https://www.liberationroute.com/stories/184/operation-market-garden.)
Clarence Prager was recognized with a Distinguished Service Cross and a Purple Heart. The citation for Distinguished Service Cross is noted on several websites, detailing that S/Sgt. Prager served in World War II with Company I, 3rd Battalion 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division ("All American"), U.S. Army, and was awarded the DSC for Operation Market Garden on January 22, 1945. It states:
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 Staff Sergeant Clarence Prager (ASN: 15114194), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving with Company I, 3d Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82d Airborne Division, in action against enemy forces on 17 and 18 September 1944, in Holland. Staff Sergeant Prager, with a small combat team consisting of an eight man light machine gun section, a bazooka team, and approximately thirteen riflemen, established four strongpoints in enemy territory for the protection of the successful glider landings in Holland. Staff Sergeant Prager led his men along the planned route and at three of the four positions encountered determined resistance. At the first position he personally destroyed two machine gun positions. By effective participation and dominant leadership ability he directed his men in the destruction of the enemy and the establishment and consolidation of four strong positions of his own. The final strongpoint was set upon in the German held [Reichswald], by a superior enemy. To insure the maintenance of his first three positions, Staff Sergeant Prager ordered his BAR team back to the third strongpoint and alone held off the German assault with Thompson submachine gun fire at point blank range. The conspicuously superior leadership and invincible courage displayed by Staff Sergeant Prager assured the security of the glider landing zone. His intrepid actions, personal bravery and zealous devotion to duty exemplify the highest traditions of the military forces of the United States and reflect great credit upon himself, the 82d Airborne Division, and the United States Army. Posthumously awarded. General Orders No.10, Headquarters, XVIII Airborne Corps ("Clarence Prager," The Wall of Valor Project, accessed 9 June 2021, https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/22567.)
| On December 13, 2005, an article appeared in a Groesbeek, Holland, newspaper, entitled, "Plaquette voor sergeant Clarence Prager." The article explains that a plaque was being placed at the location where Sgt. Prager was killed. The plaque was placed to honor his leadership and command. On the fateful day in 1944, "The American and his men had to protect the gliders from the Germans…" and had "the difficult task of re-taking the landing zones" at the end of the street. "Despite being injured, he fought on until he was killed in the garden." The ceremony was attended by William Humphrey Tucker, who had witnessed the death, and who had fought with Prager in Belgium and Normandy. Sgt. Prager's men buried him nearby. |  Courtesy Jeff Hall |
 Military marker in Beverly Hills Memorial Gardens. Courtesy Cynthia Mullens |
Clarence Prager's remains were returned to West Virginia in the late 1940s. His brother Edward made the application for a headstone marker. Clarence and Edward, who died in 1957, now rest in peace with their parents in the Beverly Hills Memorial Gardens. |
Article prepared by Cynthia Mullens
June 2021
West Virginia Archives and History welcomes any additional information that can be provided about these veterans, including photographs, family names, letters and other relevant personal history.
