Memorial

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Pfc Clell C. Crane graduated from Stayton High School with the class of 1941 and for two years attended the University of Oregon, where he was an art student.

He was sent overseas in September 1944

He was awarded the Silver Star Medal posthumously. The citation cited partly :While under heavy fire he rendered first aid to his platoon leader with whom he stayed for three hours before he could safely evacuate the wounded man. Then he returned to his squad.

Pfc Crane was killed 3 days later.

The following story was send to us by Mrs. Diana Maul, President of the Santiam Historical Society in Stayton, Oregon:
"After high school graduation, Clell enrolled as a student at University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, when he studied art. In 1942, members of men's and women's service honoraries at UO conducted a parade of pennies drive at Homecoming. The drive was sponsored by the Oregon Daily Emerald (student paper) and the Sigma Delta Chi, national journalism fraternity. They netted $80 from the drive, and used that money to purchase a gold-starred service flag to hang in the lobby of the Johnson Hall Administration Building as a tribute to alumni killed in the war and a reminder to those at home. They ordered a 31-star banner, because at that time, 31 alumni from University of Oregon had been killed in WWII. The students decided to have a plaque designed to display alongside the flag. That plaque would list the names of those alumni who gave their all. The art student selected to design the plaque was Clell Crane, then a sophomore. One feature he incorporated into his design was room to add names and stars for other students or alumni of the university who would die in the conflict.

Here is a link to a photo of that display: https://www.scribd.com/document/87072927/University-of-Oregon-Mar-1943