When I was a young boy, my paternal grandmother, Elizabeth Castellaw Williams, took me to the cemeteries around Haywood County, Tenn. where she shared stories of our ancestors as we roamed around checking out their headstones.
Aaron Sammy Castellaw’s headstone always grabbed my attention because he was killed in action during World War II. My grandmother didn’t remember a lot about him, but she knew he was awarded a purple heart and was killed in action. That somehow registered with me, and frequently when I hear the words “made the ultimate sacrifice,” I still think of young Aaron’s headstone there in the Holly Grove Baptist Church Cemetery.
Judge Roland Reid and I share numerous ancestors in our family tree including Aaron Castallaw. He recently shared some photos and documents about the late soldier that were given to him by a family member. He gave me permission to share them here on my blog.
They provide a lot more information about Aaron Castellaw and the circumstances around his death.
He was born on Dec. 6, 1914 to John Frank Castellaw (1872-1941) and Martha Agnes Parlow (1873-1961). John Frank was a brother of my great-grandfather, Bob Castellaw (1868-1954), making Aaron and me first cousins two times removed.
Aaron enlisted in the military on Dec. 2, 1939 and was stationed at Fort Benning, Ga. He married Vela Mae Goodson (1912-1984) in Russell, Al. on Feb. 8, 1941. When they married, Vela was either divorced or widowed from F. Clyde Toler, and she had an 11-year-old daughter named Emma Geraldine Toler (1930-2003). Aaron eventually served as a technical sergeant for Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment.
Aaron was not shipped out overseas until mid-1947 and was sadly killed in action on Jan. 30, 1948, just three months before Hitler committed suicide and the war came to an end.
After she sent a letter of inquiry, Vera received more details about her husband’s death from Battalion Clerk Peter S. Stravos, and his response was published in a newspaper. Stravos was near Aaron when he was killed and assured Vera her husband’s death had been “instantaneous and without pain.”
Aaron had been put in charge of an Operation Post Group that was part of the Battle of the Colmar Pocket in central Alsace, France. It was a pivotal fight that took place close to the end of the war. According to research published by Clinton W. Thompson, the 2nd Battalion of the 7th faced a serious challenge as they headed towards the town of Wihr-en-Plaine.
“The sun had set by the time the men made the attack, and the Germans they expected to encounter on the outskirts of town were not there. Because the bridge they needed to bring armor support had not been built yet, armor did not follow them. As the men moved cautiously, everything seemed uneasy. Pvt. Earl Reitan remembered, ‘There was an eerie silence, broken only by the crunching of boots on the snow and the whispering American shells overhead.’ Maj. Jack Duncan, the 2nd Battalion commander, also experienced apprehension. ‘It was too easy,’ he said. ‘I felt like we were walking into something.’
Maj. Duncan could not have been more correct about the situation. On the outskirts of Wihr-en-Plaine, the Germans saw their chance and attacked with infantry, supported by two tank destroyers. ‘Apparently, the enemy knew that we did not have our armor over the canal and had laid a trap,’ Earl Reitan remembered. Despite the white blankets and mattress covers the Americans used as camouflage, the Germans had little trouble seeing them in the moonlight. As they fired, the Americans tried desperately to dig into the frozen ground. Around 15 men died.”
Thompson, Clifton (2017). HELL IN THE SNOW: THE U.S. ARMY IN THE COLMAR POCKET, JANUARY 22-FEBRUARY 9,1945 [A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of History Department of History]. The University of Texas at Tyler. 72-73.
Stavros wrote to Vela Castellaw, “While leading the Observation Post Group across an open field towards town, three German tanks outflanked the town and cut off the O.P. from the rest of the battalion. Direct enemy tank and machine gun fire caused many casualties and one shell exploded very near your husband.”
He added, “I came to know your husband quite well. He was always cheerful and well-liked by all members of the organization. I am certain TSgt Castellaw will long be remembered for his spirit, courage and devotion to duty.”
Stravos’s comments must have provided some sense of comfort to Aaron’s family, and I can only imagine how much they appreciated it. I was curious what became of him, and a quick Google search returned his obituary. Stravos was awarded two bronze stars, a Purple Heart, five major campaign battle stars and two Presidential Unit Citations. He also received the French Fouraguerre for his service in the French First Army. He died in 2012 at the age of 88 after a long career in the restaurant business.
Among the items Judge Reid shared was a heart-breaking letter to Aaron from his mother, Agnes Castellaw, that had been returned. He never got to read it because of his death. In it, she included a bit of family news including, “Mag Watridge and Champ have moved close to Holly Grove.” They had moved into the house my paternal grandparents purchased a few years after that. It was the house my father grew up in and where my grandparents lived until their deaths.
Aaron’s body was returned to Tennessee, and he was buried at Holly Grove Baptist Church Cemetery after a service at Zion Baptist Church.
Tsgt Aaron Sammy Castellaw Obituary
“Military services for Sgt. Aaron S. Castellaw were held at Zion Baptist Church near Brownsville, September 16 at 2 o’ clock. Sgt. Castellaw was killed overseas January 30th after 9 years service in the army. He had been overseas six months at the time of his death. Sgt. Castellaw was born December 6, 1914. He is survived by his wife; mother, Mrs. Agnes Castellaw of Bells; four sisters, Mrs. W. C. Baily, Mercer; Mrs Jack Stewart, Bells; Mrs. George Yearwood, Alamo; Mrs. Finis Watridge of Brownsville; three brothers, Tommy and J. F. of near Brownsville and Malcolm Castellaw of Bells and other relatives. Burial was at Holly Grove in Haywood County.”
I could not find what Vela did after Aaron’s death, other than the fact that it appears she never remarried. She died on Oct. 16, 1984 in Muscogee, Ga. at age 72 and was buried in the Parkhill Cemetery.
You can find more about my family lines and others at HaywoodCountyLine.com or read more blog posts about the history of West Tennessee on my blog page.