Name/Title
WW2 - 178311 Colonel Carlton 'Carlos' Merrill Lawrence - Member of the 87th Battalion (Canadian Grenadier Guards) who served as an Assault Commander under Field Marshal Douglas MacArthur in the US Army during WW2Scope and Content
Colonel Carlton 'Carlos' Merrill Lawrence - 87th Bn CGG 178311
One of our original members of the 87th Battalion (Canadian Grenadier Guards) CEF became a Colonel with the US army and was the lead assault commander in charge of 173rd Battalion as part of the 43rd US Infantry Division during the Invasion (re-capture) of The Philippines under General Douglas McArthur.
Colonel Carlton (Carlos) Merrill Lawrence was born on May 29,1876 in Enosburg Falls Vermont. His father immigrated to the US from Canada. He graduated from Kimball Union Academy and Dartmouth College and was a Civil Engineer. He enlisted with The Canadian Grenadier Guards on 6 April 1916 and served with the 87th Battalion (Canadian Grenadier Guards) and Canadian Expeditionary Force from 1916-1919. He was promoted Lance-Corporal on November 11th, 1916, and was wounded twice in 1917 while serving with the Canadian Engineers. He was transferred to the Canadian Railway Troops and promoted to Corporal in 1919. He returned home and was made a Colonel in the Vermont State Guard. During WWII he was an executive officer in the 1st Battalion and was appointed Commander of Company B, 172nd Infantry Battalion (Only Vermont Unit to deploy and serve in a war theatre of operation).
During the 1944 Philippines campaign, throughout the initial 30 days of fighting on Luzon, the US 43rd Division held the Japanese in the mountains, while other Divisions smashed through to Manilla. By late January, the 43rd had overrun 125 artillery positions and destroyed the Japanese defenses around Lingayen. By Feb. 13, 1945, Rosario, Sison, and Pozzorubio were in American hands, and the 43rd Infantry division had killed as many Japanese soldiers as all the other divisions combined. The Division continued to press throughout the spring, culminating with the seizure of the Ipo Dam in May 1945. The 2-172nd commanded by Colonel Lawrence (CGG) spearheaded the assault that would later earn the Division the nickname, "Winged Victory" in honor of Maj. Gen. Leonard Wing. For their efforts, the unit received the Arrowhead device on the Meritorious Unit Citation, denoting participation in an amphibious assault landing.Created By
Lieutenant Michael Hayes-Rivet, retired.Create Date
October 10, 2024Updated By
Lieutenant Michael Hayes-Rivet, retired.Update Date
October 10, 2024
