AEDC retiree and decorated WWII veteran shares his story

  • Published
  • By Deidre Ortiz
  • AEDC/PA
ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, TENN. --  Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC) retiree Joe Chadwell has witnessed several historical and unique events in his lifetime.

In 1955, Chadwell moved to Tullahoma with his wife Edith after accepting a job at AEDC, which at the time was known as the Arnold Research Organization. He worked a total of 30 years at the base before retiring.

Chadwell was employed as an outside machinist. In addition to this, he spent 12 years as supervisor of the Von Karman Facility, which he had a hand in building and bringing online.

Though 90 years old, Chadwell's memory is far from lacking. He could talk for hours about his past experiences.

Chadwell, originally from Claiborne County, Tenn., served in the U.S. Army four honorable years as part of the 101st Airborne Division and was there when the U.S. military and thousands of allied forces landed on the shores of Normandy June 6, 1944, known as D-Day.

With the recent 70th anniversary of D-Day, Chadwell was flooded with memories of his time in the war.

Inducted into the Army in May 1943, Chadwell's first tour of duty took him to Ireland and from there to France. Chadwell was just 20 years old when he parachuted into Normandy in the late evening of June 5, 1944. He explained he was part of a field radio unit that directed naval gunfire at enemy posts.

Aboard the lead aircraft as a forward observer in the 506th Regiment of the Army's 101st Division, Chadwell said he had no idea about the magnitude of what lied ahead. As they neared the shore, he was able to see the 5,300 warships and military vessels, the largest armada ever assembled, and what Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower would later dub "The Great Crusade."

"I didn't know there were that many ships in the whole world," Chadwell said.

But the reality of what was taking place set in for Chadwell and his fellow servicemen when the C-47s started being bombarded with anti-aircraft fire from below.

"It looked like Fourth of July fireworks all around us," he recalled.

Chadwell stated he's lucky to have survived the battle at Normandy because so many other brave men weren't as fortunate. He added there are images that he'll never forget, describing one instance passing a barn full of deceased soldiers.

Still suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, Chadwell said it's hard not to get teary-eyed talking about all he witnessed.

"I get choked up, so bear with me," he said.

Though in heavy combat for most of his four years in service, it was the jump from the plane in Normandy during which Chadwell earned his Purple Heart medal, given to soldiers wounded in action.

"Because we jumped so low and so fast that when I hit the ground, I was knocked unconscious," he said.

By the end of the month, Allied forces had pushed front lines inland enough Chadwell was able to go back home for a short time.

But In January 1945, he was assigned to parachute into New Guinea, in the South Pacific, to direct naval gunfire. He was later sent to the Philippines.

Not knowing it at the time, Chadwell would be done with the war when he returned to the states in December 1945.

Serving as a member of the Army Reserve, he was called to serve in the Korean War, but per his doctor's orders he was unable to go.

"He said I'd seen enough combat," Chadwell said.

Chadwell instead went to work in security for several years with the Atomic Energy Commission at Oak Ridge. He mentioned while there he also worked at three different plants and even helped put plant K-33 online.

"The atomic plants at Oak Ridge were built a lot like the [AEDC] wind tunnels," he said.

Out of everything he's done and seen Chadwell is probably most proud of his military service. However, it wasn't until more recently that he was able to speak to anyone about it.

The first time he had a conversation with his wife about the war was 20 years ago. This is surprising since the pair was married for 68 years.

Edith has since passed away, falling ill in 2012.

But during the 50th anniversary of the D-Day, there were documentaries being shown on TV. In an article published in 2007, Edith described her husband's response to what he saw.

"As we watched the show, he would verify what we were seeing, describing things as they happened and telling stories I had never heard in more than 50 years of marriage," she said. "Before then, it was a subject that we did not discuss, and if anyone else asked him about it, he'd just turn away and say nothing."

Albeit getting upset at times, Chadwell is able to talk about the war more easily now, and a few years ago, a banquet was held to honor his military achievements.

In 2006, when experiencing health problems, Army medical records Chadwell had not received after being discharged were found. This discovery made officials aware that Chadwell never received several medals.

"We were such a small unit, and there was so much disorganization at the end of the war, I guess it got lost in the shuffle," he said.

On Aug. 15, 2006, U.S. Rep. Lincoln Davis presented Chadwell with several medals at a Disabled American Veterans meeting in Cowan. At the banquet, he received the Bronze Star Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with three bronze service stars, European-African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with bronze star, WWII Victory Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, Philippine Liberation Ribbon with one bronze service star, Honorable Service Lapel Button WWII and Parachutist Badge with one star.

Although appreciative, Chadwell will be the first to let anyone know that receiving these medals is not what being a serviceman is about.

"None of us [soldiers] set out to get recognition," he said. "We were all just doing what we had to do."