Carl R. Thien was born March 5, 1918 in Brooklyn, New York. On May 6, 1941 enlisted in the U. S. Army as a private with serial number 32118223. He was assigned to the 56th Signal Battalion at Fort Jackson at Columbia, South Carolina. After the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941 the United States entered World War II.

Assigned to Headquarters Company, I Corps and sent overseas to the South West Pacific Area (SWPA) to Queensland, Australia. During early 1944, he was attached to 201st CIC under commanding officer Captain Victor I. Cook on Goodenough Island for the rest of his wartime service.

While attached to the 201st CIC, he participated in three combat operations. First, on April 22, 1944 the amphibious landing at Hollandia and campaign ashore. Second, the May 1944 campaign on Biak Island. Third, the January 9, 1945 amphibious landing at Lingayen Gulf and advance to Manila and Baguio. During July 1945, Thien went home for his first and only 30 day furlough and expected to return to the 201st CIC that had already begun planning for their next operation in Japan. While at home in New York when the Atomic bombs were dropped in August, Thien was discharged with enough points earn from his prior service and never returned to the 201st CIC to see the unit again.

Postwar, whenever traveling he always looked up the names of friends from the unit in phone books, but never found his friends including Victor I. Cook, Paul R. Malbuisson, Arthur J. Zinsmaster or the others he served with. He worked for the New York Post newspaper and later Brookhaven National Laboratories (BNL) on Long Island until he retired.

He retired to Spring Hill, Florida. During the early 1990s, he wrote his memoirs of World War II including two self published books: 56th Signal Battalion and Pacific Island Odyssey.

Thien passed away on February 27, 2007 at age 88. He is buried at Florida National Cemetery at section 1A row 8C, site 36.

References
NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Carl R. Thien
FindAGrave - Carl R. Thien (grave photo)