Rodger Young was born in 1918 in Tiffin, Ohio. His family moved to Clyde shortly before the start of World War II. He joined the Army in January 1938, and served in the South Pacific.

On July 31, 1943, a hidden Japanese machine gun nest pinned down Rodger's squad on the island of New Guinea. Rodger, determined to destroy the nest, crept closer and threw grenades. He was killed, but his actions allowed his squad to escape, and the Japanese suffered several casualties. For this action Rodger Young was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.