Alsen Village, named for Carl Henry Alsen
Dorchester Illustration World War One Service Member biography: Carl Henry Alsen
At the Dorchester Historical Society, we are in the process of a year-long project to commemorate the 100th anniversary of World War I. Using a collection of photographs we have of WWI Dorchester residents, we will be featuring servicemen in a number of short biographies throughout the year. At the culmination of the project, we hope to produce an online exhibit that highlights these men and their service to our country.
Our next biography features: Carl Henry Alsen.
Carl H. Alsen was born in August, 1899, the youngest of four children to parents who had immigrated from Sweden. The 1900 US Census listed them in Lynn, and the 1910 US Census listed them in Somerville, and sometime in the next few years, they moved to Dorchester. As early as 1916, the family was living at 11-15 Spaulding Street, Dorchester, while Carl was living at home. They were probably renting an apartment in the house.
Carl enlisted in the National Guard on April 3, 1917. He may not have been truthful when reporting his age: his service record states he was 18 years and 9 months of age, but he was really 17 years and 8 months old. He reported for Federal service on July 25th of that year and by September he was in the American Expeditionary Force. He was killed in action on April 12, 1918. His record includes the following: “Awarded French C de G with gilt star ‘During the course of the combats of April 12, 1918, he displayed coolness, courage and zeal. He was a member of a Stokes mortar platoon which contributed greatly by its fire to break the assault of one of the attacking lines, responding promptly to the demand from the front for a barrage and continuing its fire under the most violent bombardment of more than ten minutes until a counter artillery barrage could be launched.” The following is from Wikipedia: “On 10, 12 and 13 April 1918, the lines being held by the troops of the 104th Infantry Regiment, of the 52d Infantry Brigade, of the 26th “Yankee” Division, in Bois Brule, near Apremont in the Ardennes, were heavily bombarded and attacked by the Germans. At first the Germans secured a foothold in some advanced trenches which were not strongly held but, thereafter, sturdy counterattacks by the 104th Infantry—at the point of the bayonet and in hand-to-hand combat—succeeded in driving the enemy out with serious losses, entirely re-establishing the American line.”
Alsen was honored when a newly-created park was named for him; the city of Boston created an 11-acre playground that stretched from Victory Road northward to Park Street, it comprised of the man-made land where the part of Tenean Creek north of Victory Road was filled in. On Victory Road, the armory now stands on part of the former playground. After the second World War, this area was filled with former barracks that were moved here for 763 temporary housing units for veterans and became known as Alsen Village. The Alsen-Mapes Industrial Park off of Park Street is the remainder of this playground. [The playground to the south of Victory Road is the Philip McMorrow Playground. A Dorchester native and graduate of Boston Latin School, Philip McMorrow was elected to the legislature in 1936 and served there 10 years. At the time of his death in 1948 he was chief assessor of the city of Boston.]
In 2017, at the playground on Victory Road, a square was named for Alsen . The citation on the City of Boston Veterans Services website listing Hero Squares says: ” By direction of the President, under the provisions of the act of Congress approved July 9, 1918, Private Carl H. Alsen, United States Army, is cited by the Commanding General, American Expeditionary Forces, for gallantry in action and a silver star may be placed upon the ribbon of the Victory Medals awarded him. Private Alsen distinguished himself by gallantry in action while serving with Headquarters Company, 104th Infantry Regiment, American Expeditionary Forces, in action near Seicheprey, France, 12 April 1918, during an enemy attack.” His service record card says that he was in the Apremont Sector.
He is buried in the St. Mihiel American Cemetery, Thiaucourt, France, Plot C, Row 12, Grave 2.
Sources:
1900 U.S. Census on FamilySearch.org
1910 US Census on Ancestry.com
American Battle Monuments Commission https://abmc.gov/node/321976
“American Soldiers Who Died in France” in The Official U.S. Bulletin, Thursday, November 21, 1918 (Washington, 1918), 22.
Boston. Municipal Register for 1948. (Boston, 1948), 61.
Boston Directory for 1916. (Boston, 1916), 184.
Hero Squares on City of Boston’s webpage for Veterans.
https://www.cityofboston.gov/veterans/herosquares/view.aspx?id=16
Sheehan, Daniel. “Dot playground to be re-named in memory of World War I hero.” Dorchester Reporter. October 26, 2017 at https://www.dotnews.com/2017/dot-playground-be-re-named-memory-world-war-i-hero
Suffolk County Registry of Deeds, Book 4045, Page 219 July 24, 1917.
Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/104th_Infantry_Regiment_(United_States)