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Keep the Heritage Alive! |
| Oscar and Ruth Waddell |
| Oscar Waddell - Military Life | |
| Narrator: Oscar Waddell (talking about Waddell's in military) | |
| Interviewer: Unknown | |
| Date: 1989 | |
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| OW |
I'd like to give the military history of the Waddell men. It started back when my
grandfather who was a slave, his name was John Waddell, and he was around Richmond,
Virginia-the owner. When the Civil War started, he come underground to Pennsylvania,
and he joined the Pennsylvania Regulars and fought on the side of the North.
After the Civil War was over, he come to Illinois and settled in Jerseyville, Illinois. Married and raised his family. He was an ice-cream maker by trade. He had three boys and two girls. Out of which was my father, Oscar. My dad come to Bloomington, Illinois in the early 1900s. I would say around about 1908 or 1910, His brother, Abe Waddell, served in the Spanish American War. He was on the hill with Teddy Roosevelt and the "rough riders" were supposed to have conquered the Spanish. But it was his infantry outfit that had to go get them. That's the only way they went and made it up the hill, San Juan Hill, but they don't tell that. That was a Black outfit that helped him get up that hill. That was in the Spanish American War. My father was supposed to go to war and then I come so that stopped that for a while. But, my step-brother he went in World War I, Taylor Cisco. He served at Brest, France. He fed the troops that came in and docked at Brest, France in the mess hall. He was First Sergeant over the mess hall. Then, I guess at the close of the war, my dad was called-the night the war ended, he was called up, but he didn't have to go. So we come down to his sons. Arthur Waddell and Oscar Waddell. Now, Arthur enlisted in World War II. He wanted to be sure his children were taken care of. Of which they were. Matter of fact they had a news thing about the Waddells in a jeep. Louise Waddell drawed more money that any woman in town, six kids. They had them in his jeep and they showed them what he had done. Of course, I was drafted so we were both in the army about the same time. It so happened that Art was going overseas and I was going overseas. We went within a week of each other. Art went to the European Theatre and I went the South Pacific. We both got letters at the same time that we was going overseas and we both said big deal. Art served in Germany. He was First Sergeant to the Quarter Master. Trucking outfit. He supplied Patton on the Bonn Highway. That famous German highway. That's what he did. I served in South Pacific. I served on Guam. We went in with the Marines and we built North Field on Guam. And this is the same field that the atomic bomb was flown from. We also-Art's son got a little taste of the army. I think it was Vietnam. He didn't go overseas, but he served. So the Waddells have been well represented in the Army from day one, and we're pretty proud of that. We've all seen some action. We all was proud to serve our country and as I say a lot of times, "I'm a Black man, but I'm proud Black man" because nobody-so many Black people say they don't have a country. We have a country because my family fought all during the time that Black peoples got a country, and we're proud of it. We're proud of our record. We all come out with honorable discharges, and we're proud of it. That's the reason I went into the Legion and stuff like that. I had an opportunity to serve in the Legion as the County Sergeant of Arms, District Sergeant of Arms, 4th Division Sergeant of Arms, State Department Sergeant of Arms. They used to call me "Tiny." They'd say one thing about Tiny, he's a proud American. He's not a Black man. He's an American. This was the whole thing. We as a race, we minimize what we've done, but we've been in the history of this country from day one, starting with the Boston Tea Party-the Black man's blood was spilled there at the Boston Tea Party. And if you notice Washington crossing the Delaware, there's a Black man in that boat. So all during the time Black men have had something to do with the history of this country. We as Negroes should be proud of what we've done and accomplished. I know it's hidden, but it's come from hand to mouth from different ones telling what we've done. But now, it's coming to the light. We have nothing to be ashamed of. |
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| I | That was good, too. You've definitely inspired me. Maybe I should go join the service. |
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| End | |
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