Jack I Cadwell

John Irving (Jack) Cadwell was Born on Elm Street in Calumet, Mi

The family moved to Red Jacket after his father John Harrison Cadwell became a mining captain for the Red Jacket Shaft Copper Mine.

Jack attended Calumet public schools.

1937 Delivered groceries for Super Quality Food Markets.

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Military Service -

- Enlisted 24 Dec 1941 - US Army - Took Basic Training at Camp Roberts, California -

- From 1942 - 1944 taught basic training and heavy equipment operation at Camp Roberts before going overseas.

- In 1944 was transferred to Fort Lewis, Washington to ship out to New Hebrides in the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific.

- 27th Infantry Division - Company H 105th Infantry - Machine Gunner

- The 27th Infantry Division, which had landed on April 9, 1945 took over on the right, along the west coast of Okinawa.

Jack Fought in the Battle of Okinawa - On 22 Apr 1945 Jack was manning his machine gun and was wounded in Action. He was shot through his left knee by a Japanese sniper. The soldier sitting next to him was killed by the same bullet. Jack was evacuated by hospital ship to Saipan and then on to Hawaii. Next stop was a Military hospital in San Francisco, Ca. Finally he was transferred to Winter General Hospital in Topeka, KS. Jack remained hospitalized until his discharge 12 October 1945 due to malaria and his wound.

- Received Purple Heart, Asiatic Pacific Ribbon with 1 bronze battle star - Good Conduct Medal - Combat Infantry Badge

- October 12, 1945 - Honorable Discharge from US Army.

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Returned to Calumet after his discharge and met Verna for the first time on Halloween night 1945 in Laurium. Jack was employed at the Calumet Hecla smelter in Hubbell, Mi from Aug 1946 until Jan 1947. He worked as a chipper removing solidifying copper from the furnaces. In the winter of 1947, his malaria recurred due to the extremely hot working conditions and he was forced to quit . Went to work as a truck driver and delivery man for Rowe's Transportation of Calumet, Mi in the spring of 1947.

In April of 1950, 2 weeks after Sandra Lee was born, Jack was delivering linoleum to the Vertin Brothers store. The elevator to the basement of the store was at the bottom of the shaft to allow for the unloading of the rolls. Jack caught his heel and tripped into the open shaft. The lower 3 lumbar vertebrae in his back were broken. He was hospitalized for two weeks at the Memorial Hospital in Laurium and in a full plaster body cast until the end of August 1950. Verna said he was not a happy camper. Could not even tie his own shoes. The cast was not removable.

In 1952 due to working conditions at Rowe, Jack left and went to work as a truck driver for Clairmont Transfer Company in Hancock, Mi.

His deliveries were all in the Upper Peninsula. He was with Clairmont until his retirement in 1977.

Jack died in his sleep 16 Apr 1997 while taking an afternoon nap in his favorite reclining chair. His wife Verna was there by his side and

also was taking a nap. Pepper, the family poodle was still lying asleep on Jacks lap when Verna discovered that Jack had passed away.

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Composition of the Twenty-Seventh Division in WWII

Headquarters & Headquarters Co.

Infantry: 105th, 106th and 165th Infantry Regiments

Artillery: Headquarters Division Artillery, 104th, 105th, 106th, and 249th Field Artillery Battalions

Admin Support: Military Police Platoon., 727th Ordnance Company, 27th Quartermaster Company, 102nd Medical Battalion

Tactical Support: 102nd Engineer Battalion, 27th Reconnaissance Troop, 27th Signal Company

Combat chronicle

The 27th Infantry Division arrived in Hawaii, 21 May 1942, to defend the outer islands from amphibious attack. Elements of the division were among one of five divisions (among the 3rd, 9th, Americal and the 2nd Armored Divisions) to engage in offensive combat operations during the last months of 1942. They first saw action in the attack and capture of Makin Atoll in the Gilbert Islands, 21?24 November 1943. Two battalions of the 106th Regiment participated in the attack on Eniwetok Atoll, 19?26 February 1944, returning to Oahu in March. During this mission, one battalion landed unopposed on Majuro Island, 1 February, and completed its seizure, 3 February. The division began preparations for the Marianas operations, 15 March. On D-day plus 1, 16 June 1944, elements landed at night on Saipan to support the Second and Fourth Marine Divisions. A bridgehead was established and Aslito Airfield captured, 18 June. Fighting continued throughout June. During a pitched battle, 7 July, Japanese overran elements of the division in a banzai attack, but organized resistance was crushed the next day. During the months of July and August, the 27th cleaned out isolated pockets in the mountains and cliffs of Saipan.

Beginning in the middle of August, the division moved to the New Hebrides for rest and rehabilitation. On 25 March 1945, the 27th sailed from Espiritu Santo, arriving at Okinawa, 9 April 1945. The Division participated in the XXIV Corps general attack, 19 April 1945, securing a dominating ridge line south of Machinato and Kakazu. Machinato Airfield was captured, 28 April, after a severe struggle. On 1 May, the division was relieved by the 1st Marine Division and attached to the Island Command for garrison duty. Tori Shima was seized, 12 May, without opposition. The 27th attacked from the south end of Ishikawa Isthmus to sweep the northern sector of Okinawa. The enemy fought bitterly on Onnatake Hill from 23 May until 2 June, before losing the strong point. After a mopping-up period, the division left Okinawa, 7 September 1945, moved to Japan and occupied Niigata and Fukushima Prefectures.

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Battle of Okinawa

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BattleofOkinawa

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Land battle

The land battle took place over about 81 days beginning April 1, 1945.

The first Americans ashore were soldiers of the 77th Infantry Division, who landed in the Kerama Islands (Kerama Retto), 15 miles (24 km) west of Okinawa on March 26, 1945. Subsidiary landings followed, and the Kerama group was secured over the next five days. In these preliminary operations, the 77th Infantry Division suffered 27 dead and 81 wounded, while Japanese dead and captured numbered over 650. The operation provided a protected anchorage for the fleet and eliminated the threat from suicide boats.

John I Cadwell