Charles Howard Roan - Claude, TX - World War II Memorials / Monuments on Waymarking.com

The cenotaph stands in the Roan family plot, and it has a cross in one corner and the Medal of Honor in the other. It says:

In Memory of
Charles Howard Roan
Medal of Honor
PFC US Marine Corps
World War II
Aug 16 1923 Sep 18 1944

While there are no posted hours in Claude Cemetery, it is generally good cemetery etiquette to visit during daylight hours. Locals may interpret nighttime visits as the work of troublemakers, which can attract law enforcement or family members who are prepared to deal with bad guys appropriately.

As a native of Claude, TX, Private Roan was honored with two Texas Historical Markers. One issued in 1970 stands inside the Roan family plot, noting his having been awarded the Medal of Honor, and it says:

(Aug. 16, 1923 - Sept. 18, 1944)

Winner, Congressional Medal of Honor for heroism during the Allied Forces' invasion of Peleliu in the western Pacific, in World War II. On July 21, 1945, he was decorated posthumously by presentation of his medal to his mother, Armstrong County Treasurer, Mrs. Lillabel Roan, in Claude. A Navy destroyer in 1946 was christened with his name. Private Roan's grave is in the Marine Cemetery, Peleliu Island.

The 1994 marker is a virtual duplicate, standing on the courthouse square in Claude, but it provides additional information:

(August 16, 1923 - September 18, 1944)

Claude native Charles H. Roan volunteered for World War II service in the U.S. Marine Corps in December 1942. On active duty in the Pacific, he was killed in battle on Peleliu Island when he threw himself on a Japanese grenade, thereby saving the lives of four fellow Marines. For his heroic action he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. The medal was presented to his mother, Armstrong County Treasurer Lillabel Roan, in ceremonies here at the courthouse in July 1945. A U.S. Navy destroyer built in 1946 was christened the USS Charles H. Roan DD-853.

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The Marine Cemetery on Peleliu Island has since been closed, and the American servicemen have been moved elsewhere. Charles H. Roan is listed on the Tablets of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines.

Property Permission: Public Access instructions: Claude Cemetery, Armstrong CR 14, northeast of Claude Website for Waymark: [Web Link] Location of waymark: Claude Cemetery Armstrong County Road 14 Claude, TX USA 79019 Commemoration: Marine Private First Class Charles H. Roan Date of Dedication: Not listed Access times: Not listed

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