John Irving CADWELL

   Another name for John was Jack.

   Research Notes:

"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.

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 Espiritu Santo New Hebrides in the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific.

- 27th Division 105th Infantry Regiment 2nd Battalion Company H 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 1946, 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 daughter Sandra 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. Wife 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...." ²

   Marriage Information:

John married Verna.