One Soldier’s Unusual Array of Awards

Allan Wenzel

On July 5, 2002, as a Presidential bugler played taps, an unassuming and unsung hero of the Korean War was laid to rest. My interest in collecting military medals and insignia was initiated when I was 8 or 9 years of age by my great-uncle, Daniel Ross Van Cleave (Figure 1), a career army infantryman.

Figure 1: Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Ross Van Cleave.

Around 1955 he sent to my grandmother (his older sister) a shoebox loaded with Army, Navy and Marine Corps patches, insignia, medal ribbons, and rank insignia, which he had accumulated from various servicemen he had met and included some of his own. These items were to be equally divided between his sister’s seven grandchildren. My five cousins (the children of my three aunts) all lived on the same block, as did my grandparents. My older brother and I lived fifteen miles away in Seattle. So Grandma kept the shoebox hidden out of the reach of her other five grandchildren until we all could be together for the dividing of this treasure trove. I vividly remember my dad driving us out to his parent’s home and of my grandmother divvying up the box load of military relics.

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After over 45 years I still have every single item I was given, as well as those of my deceased brother.

My great-uncle Dan was born on Valentine’s Day, February 14,1910, in Seattle, Washington, the youngest of five children. On April 1,1929, at the age of nineteen and after the recent funeral of his mother, he enlisted as a Private in the Army Infantry, launching a 27 year military career.

His first overseas tour of duty was with the 31 st Infantry Regiment in the Philippines. While there his unit was sent from Manila to Shanghai as defenders of the International Settlement agreement from the possible overflowing of hostilities by the Japanese and Chinese, who in 1932 were engaged in war. After returning to the United States from Shanghai he was posted to Fort Lewis, Washington, serving there from 1932 to 1942. During these years he attained the rank of Staff Sergeant and was awarded the Army Good Conduct Medal (awarded to enlisted men who have honorably completed three continuous years of active service with exemplary behavior, fidelity and efficiency with ratings of excellent or higher). These years of service entitled him to the American Defense Service Medal (awarded for the "limited national emergency proclaimed on September 8,1939, and the unlimited emergency proclaimed on May 27,1941," extending to December 7,1941.)

With America’s entrance into World War II, Dan was selected to attend Officers Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia. He graduated on October 21,1942 and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant. He was assigned to the training of troops, at several camps on the eastern seaboard of the United States. This service qualified him for the first of the three theatre of operations campaign medals he would go on to earn, the American Campaign Medal (awarded for service in the prescribed area of operations from December 7,1941 to March 2,1946; for one year of aggregated days within the continental limits of the United States, or 30 consecutive/60 nonconsecutive days outside the continental United States but within North, Central and South America and their adjoining waters, exclusive of Alaska.)

Dan was promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant on May 28,1943 and to Captain on April 1,1944. After receiving his Captaincy he was sent overseas to Great Britain with the Seventh Army, assigned to the Transportation Corps. He was stationed first in Scotland and then in England. Dan was one of twenty-six officers hand picked by General George Patton to serve on his staff. His assignment was to brief all U.S. Army officers

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coming to Europe on their way to the German front lines. Later Dan himself joined the fighting with the Seventh Army’s push from France into Germany, earning his Combat Infantryman Badge (awarded to all ranks "whose conduct in combat is exemplary or whose combat action occurs in a major action.")

The end of hostilities with Germany found Dan in Munich, Germany. His service in Europe earned him his second theatre of operations service medal, the European- African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal (awarded for service in the prescribed area of operations, including Greenland and Iceland, between December 7,1941 to November 8, 1945). His was issued with three campaign- battle stars. He was also awarded the World War II Victory Medal (given to all members of the armed forces who served on active duty between December 7,1941 and December 31,1946).

After war terminated in Europe, Dan was assigned to

army of occupation duty and stationed at Heidelberg,

Germany. This service earned him the Army of

Occupation Medal with the GERMANY bar (awarded

for 30 consecutive days at a normal post of duty on

assignment to the armies of occupation, between May 9,

1945 through May 5, 1955 (non-inclusive of Berlin duty).

Dan returned to the United States near the end of 1945, but was home only a short time before being sent to the Orient. He was assigned to the 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Division, and posted to Korea for occupation duty. This service earned him his third theatre of operations service medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (awarded for service in the prescribed area of operations, including Alaska) between December 7,1941 and March

2,1946.). This service also entitled Dan to the JAPAN bar to his Army Of Occupation Medal (awarded for 30 consecutive days at a normal post of duty on assignment to the armies of occupation between September 3,1945

and June 29, 1949.)

On August 8,1947 Dan was promoted to Major of Infantry, and in June 1948 he returned to the United States, becoming a Unit Instructor for an Organized Reserve Corps. By 1952 his service earned him the newly

created Armed Forces Reserve Medal (awarded for completing ten years honorable service in a reserve unit), his being issued with the "Hour Glass" device on the ribbon, signifying two awards.

Because of his knowledge of the people and territory Dan was ordered back to Korea in September 1950. His first post was at Kaesong, where he joined the 1st

Regimental Combat Team, and took part in the northern push to the Yalu River. During this operation his unit was held up for 2 1/2 hours by heavy enemy artillery fire. Setting the brush ablaze flushed out the enemy. When the fire died down they captured 30 enemy prisoners and found several hundred dead. On November 1,1950, his unit was ordered to withdraw to new lines of defense, even though they were experiencing little enemy resistance and thought that the prediction of hostilities terminating by Christmas would prove to be true. The next day his division withdrew 82 miles to the south. Several days later Dan learned of the American division that had been cut to pieces by Chinese troops.

It was at this time that Dan became a liaison officer between the Army and Air Force, as an aerial observer of enemy concentrations. Experienced infantry officers were used for this hazardous duty due to their knowledge of troops, movement and materials. Flights were made in "Mosquito" and other small, unarmed trainers. At times they would fly as low as 300 feet off the ground, and were in constant danger of being hit by enemy ground fire. During his flights he saw droves of refugees dressed in white fleeing along the highway parallel to the U.S. Army’s withdrawing troops. Dan reported these concentrations of people daily. It was finally determined that they were principally enemy troops wearing white robes over their uniforms and weapons to conceal who they really were. This allowed them to blend in with the fleeing peasants. The enemy would gather their forces at night and attack the U.S. troops, then move back to parallel lines during the day. Only after numerous reports had been submitted and confirmation that these refugees were really disguised enemy troops, was the Air Force permitted to attack and destroy them.

For his actions during these flights, Dan, the infantry officer, was decorated twice with the Distinguished Flying Cross (awarded to any armed forces member who shall have distinguished himself by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight"). His first Distinguished Flying Cross was awarded for "extraordinary achievement in aerial flight against the enemy on November 29,1950, in the vicinity of Sunchon, Korea; flying as aerial observer in an unarmed T-6 Mosquito aircraft. He located an enemy roadblock, and maintained low altitudes and succeeded in drawing friendly fighter type aircraft to the target. The aircraft destroyed the road block, and secured the safe withdrawal of friendly troops who reached Sunchon." His second Distinguished Flying Cross (represented by

an oak leaf cluster on his medal ribbon) was awarded for "locating 22 enemy vehicles and enemy equipment and

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Figure 2: The medals awarded to Lieutenant Colonel Van Cleave.

leading fighter craft to destroy them." He was decorated with the Air Medal (awarded for "meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight" in either combat or noncombat, or single acts of heroism or merit for sustained operational activities against an armed enemy") with five oak leaf clusters, for six occasions in which he demonstrated "courage, ability, and devotion to duty."

He received the Distinguished Unit Citation (conferred on units for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy), which was awarded to the 614th Tactical Control Squadron for the period of July 9,1950 to November 1950, the citation reading: "For heroic, unique, and valorous action in Korea, in the name of the President of the United States, as public evidence of deserved honor and distinction." He also received the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation (awarded by the President of Korea under the same conditions as the Distinguished (Presidential) Unit Citation.)

After several months with the Air Force Dan, on April 1,1951, was reunited with the Army, as the Battalion Executive Officer of the 5th Regimental Combat Team. On April 22,1951, his regiment was attacked by Chinese troops. Three days later he and his unit had their lines of communication cut off. They found themselves isolated and out of contact with the other U.S. Army units for ten days. During this time Dan became one of very few men

to ever be made a Mason while behind the Communist lines.

Dan was decorated with the Bronze Star (awarded for recognized acts of heroism performed in ground combat, or acts of meritorious achievement or service accomplished with distinction) with "V" (for valor) and an oak leaf cluster for two occasions when he exhibited "gallantry and valor in action." He also received the Army Commendation Ribbon (awarded for meritorious achievement or meritorious service in combat or noncombat action), for "contributing to the success of operations of the 25th Division." Dan neglected to apply for the decoration after the establishment of the medal itself, and so it is absent from his collection of medals.

Dan’s Korean War service entitled him to the Korean Service Medal (awarded for service between June 27,1950 and July 27,1954, for 30 consecutive/60 nonconsecutive days of service). His was issued with four campaign-battle stars on its ribbon. He received the United Nations Service Medal for Korea (awarded for service in Korea between June 27,1950 and July

27,1954), and the National Defense Service Medal (awarded for service between June 27,1950, when the Korean War began and July 27, 1954.)

In July 1951, after ten months in Korea, Dan returned to the United States. By the time he left, his 3500 man

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