Army Veteran George “Russell” Caldwell was born in Huntington, West Virginia, in October 1913. He married Irene Virginia Hughes in 1934, and they raised five children in Cabell, West Virginia. On Feb. 1, 1944, Caldwell enlisted in the Army. He landed on the Normandy beaches during the D-Day invasion on June 10, 1944, when he was 30 years old. He served with G Company, 2nd Battalion, 39th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division.
Early in September 1944, the 9th Infantry Division began a continuous battle from the German town of Lammersorf to Germeter. Being the first infantry division to capture a German town, Caldwell was in the middle of the struggle. The battalion took nearly four days to make it through the dense forest between themselves and Germeter. A German counterattack took place on Oct. 13, 1944, including tank fire and heavy artillery barrages. Tragically, Caldwell succumbed to artillery shrapnel injuries on the same day, just 11 days after his 31st birthday. Casualties from this day caused G Company a total of 10 fatalities, six wounded and 16 missing.
Caldwell was buried in the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Belgium, and was later repatriated in the Woodmere Memorial Park in Huntington in 1947. His wife never remarried, and she used his insurance money to help buy a small West Virginia farm and raise their children. Two of their sons also served in the U.S. military.
We honor his service.
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Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? VA’s Honoring Veterans social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.
It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. All it takes is an email to newmedia@va.gov with as much information as you can put together, along with some good photos. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission.
Fact Checker: Rafael Romea
Editors: Ethan Oleson, Kinsey Spratt
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