--- title: "Charles \"Chuck\" R. Stout" description: "D-Day, Normandy and Beyond veteran Charles \"Chuck\" R. Stout shares his memories of WW2." url: "https://www.normandy1944.info/stories/charles-chuck-r-stout" date: "2026-07-30T13:14:43+00:00" language: "en-GB" --- ![Charles "Chuck" R. Stout](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/c4/stout_002-c4ffd3b7.jpg?src=images/veterans/americans/charles_stout/stout_002.jpg&thumbnail=240,300,&hash=aec2ada0) # WW2 veteran Charles "Chuck" R. Stout - American - 2nd Lieutenant - Company A, 345th Infantry Regiment - Outside Le Havre, France - 1944 - Survived? Wounded but survived ![87th Infantry Division](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/9b/87th-infantry-division-9b9accf6.png?src=images/patches/87th-infantry-division.png&thumbnail=300,300,&hash=5451e44a) #### 87th Infantry Division ## Powered by poetry I was a member of Company A, 345th Infantry Regiment, 87th Infantry Division. I joined the division around April 1, 1944 at Ft. Jackson, SC. After recovery (in England) from my wounds I was selected to attend Officer's Candidate School in Fontainebleau, France where I was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant. After that I was assigned to Company C, 60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division. The regiment was commanded by Colonele Westmoreland. On Christmas Day 1945 he told me he selected me to attend a Battalion Staff School in Ft. Benning. I never went back. I later went back on active duty in the summer to receive parachute training at The Infantry School. I received my jump wings after five jumps and graduated. ### The Straw at St. Saens In Northern France outside Le Harve on the coast Lies an apple orchard – it has nothing to boast France greeted us with gray clouds scudding The drizzling rain and cold kept us huddling The orchard looked like the devil’s rest We pitched of tents – we did our best Six inches of mud covered the ground There was only straw to be found We carried each straw from the farmer’s stacks Sprinkled under our tents it warmed our backs It shielded our bodies from that six inch crud And kept us away from that awful mud We felt secure in our warm comfy place The straw was our only saving grace We were sound asleep when we jumped with a flinch Hearing the Sergeant’s voice we moved, more than an inch They waited until midnight to do their cruel sanction Only God knows why there was no compassion We wiped our sleepy eyes not believing Why us, we whined, but there was no relieving I carried my muddy straw back to the stack I grumbled, I cursed, I didn’t want to take it back How the farmer used it has always caused me to wonder I have always thought it was one great bellicose blunder To the tent I went back, now without a lawn And crawled into my sack, muddy boots still on I let out a small whimper and a wee peep Swearing and cussing I fell squishy asleep Maybe there was some good after all It toughened our hides to the future call So here is to France and its miserable mud It portended the future - Ugh! **WW II Poem by Chuck Stout** ### Ode to a B.A.R. Trine I am a Browning Automatic Rifle Known as a B.A.R. am I A dreaded weapon made to mar I kill from 500 yards and afar 21 pounds weigh me without the ammunition Carried by a gunner who has the ambition When the gunner is no more My assistant gunner sights the bore I have an ammo bearer to help And I will not stand to hear him yelp It was great when I got my B.A.R. And to fire expert at 500 yards far The other two Platoon gunners my buddies were Common iron bonded we three sir We attacked Moircy, an Ardennes town All three buddies lay prone on a hill with their butts down A sniper shot Doug Jones in the head with one round He died before he hit the ground Doug was my buddy, the first to die I couldn’t hold back my tears so I had to cry It was hard digging a foxhole in the Ardennes frozen dirt The B.A.R. team dug a three man hole and so it didn’t hurt We covered it with pine boughs, shelter halves and we were very cozy Then the snow fell and under natures cover we whispered bellicosely Later we attacked Pironpre west of Bastogne That frigid night we felt all alone We trudged many miles through the snow In silence we trod with all our ammo We lay beside a road leading into town, I with my B.A.R. My Sergeant asked me to crawl up on the road not far To take my weapon and fire twenty round Right smack dab down into the little town Prone in the road I cocked my 21 pounder When the bolt did not slide home it caused me to ponder My B.A.R. was frozen and only warm pee was the solution But we were never told of this obvious disgusting avulsion I knew not what to do when my weapon failed to play its role I crawled back and got the Sergeant’s M-1 to attack the goal Then I let go a clip of eight down into town It stirred a hornet’s nest then the terror began to resound A Panther tank squeaked its way to us along the little road It stopped right above us and let go its deadly load You cannot fight a Panther tank that flames megadeath With rifles and B.A.R.s that spit only death As the monster let lose its shells of pain Those who were wounded could not abstain There were screams from wounded and dying I found a shell crater and lay in it praying My buddy Bill Quail tried to crawl in But there was no room for two in my little den I let him have my place I could not stand the terror on his face I snaked to a big pine tree fallen by primer cord I could not crawl under so over I went with my load As I lifted my body over the trunk a shell exploded behind me It blew metal into me and I felt my warm blood flow like pee I dropped my B.A.R. and slide down to the other side Two dark figures were coming at me and there was no place to hide I thought I was a goner I did not have my B.A.R. Then I remembered it was frozen and would not fire afar I had only two thoughts in mind Was I to live or die? I uttered a whine So I lay there and prayed And God came to my aid Two company Sergeants had come to look at the fight They carried me to Jenniville that cold hard night The medic stopped the flow of blood dam soon I found out later it was a million dollar wound About the B.A.R. Trine I was never told But I found out when I visited the Moircy battlefield old The next day Doug’s B.A.R. was found by a boy Who saved the bipod legs since that day - he gave them to me with joy My other buddy, Bill Cotter, failed to survive Thousands of times for 58 years I have wished he was alive So that’s what happened to the B.A.R. Trine There is not much more to say so I am near the end But I have visited Bill to let him know how much I care With General Patton and Sgt Curtis Shoup (CMH) he fairs In Luxembourg Hamm Cemetery I found them To their honor and bravery I dedicate this poem **WW II Poem by Chuck Stout** ###### Veteran's personal file ![345th Infantry Regiment](https://www.normandy1944.info/images/patches/345th-Infantry-Regiment-us.png) 345th Infantry Regiment Golden Acorn --- #### Veteran's death record - 22 November 2019 (aged 95) - Arlington National Cemetery Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USA - Section 57, Site 1922 The compilation and structure of this website are protected by copyright. The historical stories and personal accounts published here remain the sole intellectual property of the individuals who shared them. No content may be reproduced without prior permission from the webmaster. [ Add your story ](https://www.normandy1944.info/contact) --- Updated on: 26 August 2022 --- ###### Charles "Chuck" R. Stout's personal photographs Click on a picture for enlargement --- [ ![87th Infantry Division](https://www.normandy1944.info/images/patches/87th-infantry-division.png)87th Infantry Division ](https://www.normandy1944.info/images/patches/87th-infantry-division.png) [ ![345th Infantry Regiment](https://www.normandy1944.info/images/patches/345th-Infantry-Regiment-us.png)345th Infantry Regiment ](https://www.normandy1944.info/images/patches/345th-Infantry-Regiment-us.png) [ ![Stout, Carter, Ikemier and other 3rd Squad. If anyone can recognize the other members in this picture please contact me](https://www.normandy1944.info/images/veterans/americans/charles_stout/Stout_001.jpg) ](https://www.normandy1944.info/images/veterans/americans/charles_stout/Stout_001.jpg) [ ![Chuck at home on inactive duty](https://www.normandy1944.info/images/veterans/americans/charles_stout/stout_003.jpg) ](https://www.normandy1944.info/images/veterans/americans/charles_stout/stout_003.jpg) Charles "Chuck" R. Stout's personal medals ![Bronze Star](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/9e/us-bronze-star-9edf58df.png?src=images/medals/american/us-bronze-star.png&thumbnail=185,257,&hash=6fcb7022)Bronze Star ![Victory medal](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/a8/us-victory-medal-a8bd8130.png?src=images/medals/american/us-victory-medal.png&thumbnail=185,257,&hash=e031acc7)Victory medal ![Purple Heart](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/6b/Puruple-heart-6bf16084.png?src=images/medals/american/Puruple-heart.png&thumbnail=185,257,&hash=1b155726)Purple Heart ![European Campaign](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/f7/us-Theatre-Ribbon-European-Theatre-f7a5f5dd.png?src=images/medals/american/us-Theatre-Ribbon-European-Theatre.png&thumbnail=185,257,&hash=36a65d7f)European Campaign ![Occupation Medal](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/78/German-Occupation-Medal-78da4943.png?src=images/medals/american/German-Occupation-Medal.png&thumbnail=185,257,&hash=a4245c7b)Occupation Medal ![Good Conduct](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/87/Good-conduct-87fe2231.png?src=images/medals/american/Good-conduct.png&thumbnail=185,257,&hash=a2dac2d9)Good Conduct ![American Defence](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/da/American-Service-Medal-da3fcfc4.png?src=images/medals/american/American-Service-Medal.png&thumbnail=185,257,&hash=5f783627)American Defence ![American Campaign](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/be/us-American-Campaign-Medal-be85fe4b.png?src=images/medals/american/us-American-Campaign-Medal.png&thumbnail=185,257,&hash=8f0a0475)American Campaign ![Legion of Honor](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/75/Knight-of-the-Legion-of-Honour-7511bc77.png?src=images/medals/french/Knight-of-the-Legion-of-Honour.png&thumbnail=185,257,&hash=7c7d6b4c)Legion of Honor [](#) [](#) #### Cite this historical page I aim to provide accurate, open-access accurate historical records. 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