The Uncle I Never Knew

Charles Lee Culwell was born April 1, 1920, in West Helena, Arkansas, the oldest of the 9 children to be born to Charles Franklin Culwell and Chloe Adella Housley.

They lived in northeastern Arkansas where Charles Franklin Culwell, my grandfather, was a farmer.  The 1930 US Census records the family in West Helena.  Lee is 10, Howard 8, Gilbert (my father) 6, Eva 4, and Nellie 1.   JR, Olive Ann (died in infancy), Shirley, and Gene would come later.  

On June 3, 1939, Lee and Edna Rosamond were married in Lurton, Arkansas.  (License says Lee was 21, and Edna was 18, both of which were exaggerations – they were 19 and 16.)

The 1940 Census shows that Lee and Edna were renting for $2/month in Richland, Arkansas in close proximity to Edna’s parents’ farm. The Rosamonds still had 3 daughters and a son at home. It indicates that Lee worked as a farm laborer 46 weeks in 1939 and earned $300.  It indicates that Lee is 20 and Edna 17.  Lee had completed 9^th grade; Edna 10^th.  It seems likely that Lee worked for and rented from Edward Rosamond.  Edna provided the info to the census taker.

When Lee registered for the draft July 3, 1941, he was living with Edna’s older brother Vernon Rosamond, at 10326 Telfair St., Pacoima, CA, and working for Lockheed in Burbank as a sheet metal worker.   Alice Marie was born in June of 1942, and now lives in Rosamond, California (Rosamond was NOT named for Edna’s family).

July 20, 1944 Lee enlisted in the Army in Oklahoma City, listing his residence as Los Angeles, and his occupation as machinist.  Both of Edna’s parents died in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, so I speculate that Lee dropped off Edna and Alice at her parent’s home when he joined the Army.

Lee was assigned to the 345^th Infantry Regiment of the 87^th Infantry Division.  He was in Company B.  His division moved from Fort Jackson in South Carolina to New York, leaving for Europe in October 1944 on the Queen Elizabeth.  After further training in Scotland, he sailed for France the Sunday after Thanksgiving, 1944.  He first experienced combat in December, about a week before the Battle of the Bulge began.  This was the most deadly battle in American history.  81,000 Americans were killed, wounded, or captured in pushing the German army back into its own country.  Lee was killed February 10, 1945, less than two months after first seeing battle, and less than three months before the end of the war in Europe.  He most likely died near Neuendorf, Germany.  He was 24.

Private Charles L. Culwell was buried in the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Hombourg, Belgium, with 17,000 other allied troops.  Plot F, Row 14, Grave 3.

Arkansas Gazette, March 2, 1945 (with incorrect age and time in service)

More about the cemetery. https://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries-memorials/europe/henri-chapelle-american-cemetery

This map shows the movement of his division in Europe.

Here's more detail, from the 87th Infantry Division history at https://www.revolvy.com/page/87th-Infantry-Division-%28United-States%29
World War II

• Ordered into active military service: 15 December 1942 at Camp McCain, Mississippi.
• Training: Moved to the Tennessee Maneuver Area on 3 December 1943, for the Second Army #4 Tennessee Maneuvers; Consolidated to Fort Jackson, South Carolina on 20 January 1944 for divisional training.
• Staged at Camp Kilmer, at Stelton (now Edison), New Jersey, on 10 October 1944 until it received its Port Call to the New York Port of Embarkation in Brooklyn, NY.
• Overseas: Deployed to the European Theater on 17 October 1944.
• Arrived England on 12 November 1944, and Staged for movement to France.
• Assigned to US 3rd Army on 25 November 1944.
• Arrived Le Havre, France 28 November 1944.
• Was further assigned to US III Corps on 4 December 1944, and to US XII Corps on 11 December 1944, and to US XV Corps on 21 December 1944, and to US VIII Corps on 29 December 1944.
• Crossed into Belgium on 12 January 1945, and returned to XII Corps on 14 January 1945.
• Crossed into Luxembourg on 21 January 1945, and assigned to VIII Corps on 25 January 1945.
• Due to discontinuity of German railroad system, 87th ID was routed to Germany by returning to Belgium on 3 February 1945.
• Entered Germany 16 March 1945, and remained to VE Day.
• Returned to Continental US at New York Port of Embarkation on 11 July 1945, and proceeded to Fort Benning, Georgia on 14 July 1945 to prepare for deployment to Japan.
• Was at Fort Benning on VJ Day.
• 87th Infantry Division was deactivated on 21 September 1945, at Fort Benning, Georgia.
• Campaigns: Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe.
• Days of combat: 154.
• Distinguished Unit Citation: 2.
• Awards:

1. Medal of Honor-1 ;
2. Distinguished Service Cross-9 ;
3. Distinguished Service Medal-1 ;
4. Silver Star-364;
5. Legion of Merit −20;
6. Soldier's Medal −41 ;
7. Bronze Star −1,542 ;
8. Air Medal −49.

Camp Parsons August 13-18, 2018

Fun with food

I don't know why these rotated on their own and I can't unrotate them. Makes it look pretty easy when you do it sideways.