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Page 36 January 2018 The Catoctin Banner Newspaper www.TheCatoctinBanner.com Published by www.EPlusPromotes.com
Our Neighborhood Veterans
Photos Courtesy of Chuck Caldwell
by James Rada, Jr. County Ohio war, Chuck’s
Hobby Exposition, first thought
with a diorama of was that he
the railyard scene now had an
in Gone With excuse to do
T h e L i v i n g h i s To ry the Wind. The poorly on his
exams. Then
display featured
o f C h u C k C a L dw e L L four hundred as he realized
different clay
what he was
figures, in addition thinking, he
to the ones he felt shame.
Chuck Caldwell and his father, When he was finished, he had nearly had drawn into Chuck left
George, came to Gettysburg, fifty autographs in the book. the background school on
Pennsylvania, on the last day of June It’s a priceless piece of history scenery. The December 15,
1938 for the 75 anniversary of that he still cherishes. piece was so without even
th
the Battle of Gettysburg. The town popular that a taking his
decorated with banners, bunting, A Talent For Art local department finals. It didn’t
and lights, and was so crowded that Chuck was born in Princeton, store displayed it matter now. He
the Caldwells couldn’t find a room Illinois, in 1923. Because his father in their window headed home
to stay in and spent their first night was a minister, the Caldwells moved to help attract on the train to
sleeping in a chicken coop. Chuck, from town to town each time he customers. tell his parents
who was fourteen years old, didn’t took a new job. Although both that he was
mind because he had made it to Chuck’s father and grandfather were Becoming a going to be a
Gettysburg. clergymen, Chuck didn’t want to Marine Marine.
Chuck and his father visited follow in their footsteps. That was Chuck wasn’t large enough The physical at the end of
the Veterans’ Camp, which had obvious from a young age. to play football, but he was a December was quick and basic. The
been constructed on the north “I was a pew climber in church,” huge fan of the game, especially minimum requirement for Marines
end of Gettysburg College and Chuck said. “I just wouldn’t sit the University of Alabama team. at the time was that they weigh
some adjacent private property. still.” Because of this, Alabama was his at least 120 pounds and stand at
Union Veteran tents were With George preaching at the only choice for college when he least five feet six inches tall. Chuck
located on lettered streets, from front of the church, it fell to Ellen graduated high school in 1941. He became a Marine by one pound and
Biglerville Road to Mummasburg Caldwell to keep her ears open even became the freshman football half an inch.
Road. Confederate Veteran tents to the sermon and her eyes on team manager. He made it through five weeks of
lined numbered streets, from young Chuck, as he would crawl “I got picked on by the players basic training at Parris Island, South
Mummasburg Road to the Reading over, under, and across the pews, because I was small. It was all Carolina, and shipped out to New
Railroad. Only about 2,000 disturbing nearby churchgoers. right, though, because I was part Zealand, knowing that he was going
Veterans had made it to the reunion, His mother finally stopped trying of the team. I was part of the Great to be fighting in the war.
although tens of thousands more to make her son sit down. Instead, Crimson Tide.” “I wasn’t scared,” Chuck said.
people were in town. she gave Chuck paper and a pencil Chuck worked hard and long “I was going to take part in real
“It was a thrill to be able to see and let him draw, hoping to focus hours. Unfortunately, most of that history.”
both armies together at one time,” his attention elsewhere. time was spent with the football
Chuck said. “It was just too much. I It worked. Chuck became so team. As Chuck grew skeptical WWII
would have walked from home to be focused on creating something on about his chances of passing his Chuck’s early months in the
there.” the sheet of paper that the only classes, he decided that he needed Pacific involved a lot of sailing, from
When Chuck met a Veteran, part of him moving during the a plan in case he wouldn’t be one island to another, but then on
he would get the man to sign his service was his hand. He still wasn’t returning to the university after the November 2, 1942, he landed on
autograph book and write down his listening to the sermons, but at Christmas break. Guadalcanal to reinforce a group of
hometown and unit. Chuck also had least he wasn’t disturbing everyone On December 1, he enlisted in Marines who had been fighting the
his picture taken with the Veteran. around him. the U.S. Marine Corps. All that was entrenched Japanese for weeks.
Chuck later added some flourishes, Chuck won his first art left for him to do was to pass his He spent the next five months on
such as a Union or Confederate flag. competition at the 1940 Wayne final physical. He arranged it so that the island, fighting occasionally, and
he wouldn’t be inducted until after dodging bombs from almost daily
Christmas. air raids. Japanese bombers would
On Sunday, December 7, Chuck fly from ships surrounding the island
Self Storage was actually studying when his to drop their bombs. The goal was
roommate rushed into the room
to destroy the runway on Henderson
shouting that the Japanese had Field, in the hopes of keeping the
Marines on the ground.
Need Room? NEW! PORTABLE STORAGE bombed Pearl Harbor. Chuck nerves on edge, especially at night
was stunned. He knew from his
The raids kept the Marines’
CONTAINERS
Too Much Clutter? roommate’s tone that something when they couldn’t see the planes
was wrong, but he wasn’t quite sure
what. coming.
Affordable “Where’s Pearl Harbor?” Chuck Some mornings, they would
Self Storage asked. find odd footprints from people
wearing tabis in camp. These were
They had to dig out an atlas to
can store locate Pearl Harbor. Japanese tennis-shoe-type boots that
it for you! CALL FOR MORE DETAILS! As the realization settled on separated the big toe from the rest
Chuck that the Japanese had of the toes. Chuck realized that the
NOT JUST FOR PUBLIC! Conveniently located on Maple Dr. attacked the United States and
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