SSgt John C. Sjogren
U.S. Army, 40th Infantry Division, 160th Infantry Regiment, Company I
Background
John Carleton Sjogren was born August 19, 1916 to parents Carl E Sjogren and Anna Louise Erickson Sjogren in Rockford, Michigan. He grew up on a farm farm in Algoma with his older brother Elmer, younger brother Norman, and three sisters, Lillian, Edith and Esther. He worked in Chicago as a bricklayer weekly commuted home. At the start of the Great Depression he worked on two farms to help support his family. In 1938 hired by Wolverine Shoe and Tanning Corporation in Rockford.
Wartime History
On October 16,
1940, he registered for the U.S. draft but was classified as unfit for service because he had two deformed vertebrae. In 1942, he was again drafted into the U.S. Army but only for limited service but he requested to be classified as available for combat duty. After basic training, he first served in the Military Police (MP) at Camp McCoy. Next, assigned to the 87th Infantry Division in Mississippi and shipped out with them to Hawaii for jungle training.
Afterwards, assigned to the 40th Infantry Division (40th ID), 160th Infantry Regiment (160th IR) and during December 1944 shipped out for the Philippines. In late January 1945 wounded in the leg by mortar shrapnel at Clark Field. After recovering, he rejoined his unit on Negros.
On May 23, 1945 Sjogren led a squad assaulting Hill 3155 (Suicide Knob) near San Jose Hacienda to the east of Talisay on Negros. The squad climbed an almost vertical hill by climbing broken trees that had been destroyed by artillery fire against entrenched Japanese supported by pillboxes. As a scout squad, Sjogren’s squad was ordered to flank the Japanese troops on the hill. The terrain allowed for only one squad to advance at a time, and Sjogren’s squad was the first up and immediately took fire killing the second in command. Without hesitation, Sjogren charged across 20 yards of an open field and dragged him under cover but discovered he was dead.
 Sjogren then ordered his four remaining men to provide covering fire on pillboxes and loaded himself with fragmentation grenades. He climbed up the slope throwing grenades and managed to crawl up to the pillboxes and dropped grenades into the gun slits then repeated the same at the next bunker and cleared the entire hilltop with the rest of his squad fired on any escaping. While attacking one bunker, the Japanese managed to throw several grenades back out and sustained back and hand injuries from shrapnel. He was able to throw in more grenades than they could throw back and silenced it. Attacking another bunker, a Japanese aimed a weapon at him but did not fire allowing him to instead toss a grenade. He also pulled the barrel of a machine gun out of a bunker burning his hands. In total, his squad was in action for 50 hours without food or water. For his actions, Sjogren earned the Medal of Honor and was credited with destroying 9 pillboxes and killed 43 Japanese, including at least one in hand to hand combat, despite his own wounds.
Medal of Honor
On October 12, 1945 at a ceremony outside the White House, U.S. President Harry S. Truman bestows SSgt Sjogren with the Medal of Honor.
Medal of Honor Citation G.O. No.: 97, 1 November, 1945)
 "He led an attack against a high precipitous ridge defended by a company of enemy riflemen, who were entrenched in spider holes and supported by well-sealed pillboxes housing automatic weapons with interlocking bands of fire. The terrain was such that only one squad could advance at a time; and from a knoll atop a ridge a pillbox covered the only approach with automatic fire. Against this enemy stronghold, S/Sgt. Sjogren led the first squad to open the assault. Deploying his men, he moved forward and was hurling grenades when he saw that his next in command, at the opposite flank, was gravely wounded. Without hesitation he crossed 20 yards of exposed terrain in the face of enemy fire and exploding dynamite charges, moved the man to cover, and administered first aid. He then worked his way forward and, advancing directly into the enemy fire, killed eight Japanese in spider holes guarding the approach to the pillbox. Crawling to within a few feet of the pillbox while his men concentrated their bullets on the fire port, he began dropping grenades through the narrow firing slit. The enemy immediately threw two or three of these unexploded grenades out, and fragments from one wounded him in the hand and back. However, by hurling grenades through the embrasure faster than the enemy could return them, he succeeded in destroying the occupants. Despite his wounds, he directed his squad to follow him in a systematic attack on the remaining positions, which he eliminated in like manner, taking tremendous risks, overcoming bitter resistance, and never hesitating in his relentless advance. To silence one of the pillboxes, he wrenched a light machine gun out through the embrasure as it was firing before blowing up the occupants with hand grenades. During this action, S/Sgt. Sjogren, by his heroic bravery, aggressiveness, and skill as a soldier, singlehandedly killed 43 enemy soldiers and destroyed nine pillboxes, thereby paving the way for his company's successful advance." |
 Postwar
When Sjogren returned to Rockford, the city designated September 14 as John Sjogren day and gave him a 1946 Ford Super Deluxe Sedan. He married Mabel Jean Thompson. In 1949, Sjogren joined the Michigan National Guard assigned to the 126th Infantry Regiment (126th IR) and was promoted to the rank of 1st Lieutenant and served in the Korean War until he retired in 1953 with the rank of Major.
Memorials
Sjogren died August 30, 1987 at age 71. He is buried at Rockford Cemetery in Rockford, MI at B6, P20, G2 North.
On August 19, 2016 a lifesize statue of John C. Sjogren was dedicated on what would have been his 100th birthday outside the Rockford Area Museum in the Steven R. Servaas Municipal Complex at 21 S Monroe St, Rockford, MI 49341-1229. The statue was paid for by funds raised by retired Kent County judge Steven Servaas, the city and community donations. The dedication ceremony was attended by Rockford Mayor Jerry Coon, Judge Steven Servaas and relatives grandson Andrew Gee and Ruth Gee.
Sjogren's Medal of Honor was displayed at the Krause Memorial Branch of the Kent District Library. During 2016, his uniform and Medal of Honor are displayed at the Rockford Area Museum, on loan from the library.
 The Michigan Heroes Museum has a display related to Sjogren with a duplicate Medal of Honor on his postwar National Guard uniform plus his 40th Division uniform and other items.
Relatives
Carl E. Sjogren (father died 1954)
Anna Louise Erickson Sjogren (mother died 1966)
Norman E. Sjogren (brother died 2008)
Mabel Jean Thompson Sjogren (wife died 1996)
Andrew Gee (grandson)
Ruth Gee (granddaughter)
References
U.S. Army in World War II Triumph in the Philippines Chapter XXXI The Central Visayan Islands page 607, Footnote 10
(Footnote 10) "On 23 May S. Sgt, John C. Sjogren of Company I, 160th Infantry, 40th Division, singlehandedly killed 43 Japanese and destroyed 9 pillboxes as he led his squad during an attack in the rough hills of northern Negros. For his bravery and aggressive leadership, Sergeant Sjogren was awarded the Medal of Honor."
The U.S. Army Campaigns of World War II - Southern Philippines page 18
"Staff Sgt. John C. Sjogren, Company I, 160th Infantry, led one such attack against a ridgetop position on 23 May. Despite being wounded by enemy gunfire, Sjogren accounted for some 43 Japanese casualties, and destroyed nine pillboxes as he cleared the way for his company to follow. For his initiative and courage, the sergeant was awarded the Medal of Honor."
Congressional Medal of Honor Society - John Carleton Sjogren
FindAGrave - John Carleton Sjogren (photo, grave)
Fox17 "Rockford raising funds to honor World War II hero" August 13, 2015
Michigan History of the Upper Great Lakes (MHUGL) - First Lieutenant John Sjogren Memorial Statue
WWMT "Kalamazoo company creating life-sized sculpture to honor West Michigan hero" August 10, 2016
Michigan Live "Rockford dedicates statue to city's only Medal of Honor winner" August 29, 2016
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