Military Veterans
Howard V. McCaslin
Date of Birth
30 December 1917
Date of Death
26 September 1974
Brick Location
Liberty Side
Panel Number
7A
Biography
Private First Class Howard McCaslin served in the U.S. Army for six years during World War II. His unit: 635th Tank Destroyer Battalion. He was a Radioman, and while on duty in France, the jeep in which he was riding came under fire; he was seriously wounded.
Howard spent a year in rehabilitation/recovery in a Veterans Hospital in Springfield, MO.
After an Honorable and Medical Discharge, he and his wife operated a business—McCaslin Trim Supply— in El Dorado for 30 years.
The following account of the incident of Howard's injury on August 4, 1944, is included in Carl Condon's history of the 635th Tank Destroyer Battalion located on line:
From "THE 635th TANK DESTROYER BATTALION IN EUROPE IN WORLD WAR II" by Carl Condon
Note: Carl Condon, a former member of Company A, is the Historian of the 635th Tank Destroyer Battalion Association. This history was compiled from official reports and was supplemented by reminiscences of unit members; it has been published on line with Mr. Condon’s permission.
Note: Carl Condon, a former member of Company A, is the Historian of the 635th Tank Destroyer Battalion Association. This history was compiled from official reports and was supplemented by reminiscences of unit members; it has been published on line with Mr. Condon’s permission.
"On Aug 4th an A Company officer and two Enlisted Men were on recon in a 1/4 ton vehicle and were attacked in force. They escaped but two Enlisted Men were severely Wounded In Action.
Herbert Wanitschke told me about this incident at our reunion in San Antonio Sept 1993. Wanitschke was driving a 1/4 ton Jeep on a recon mission with Lieutenant Cox and Howard McCaslin in the back seat operating the radio. The Germans opened up with machine gun fire from both sides catching the jeep in the crossfire. Wanitschke, while wounded, backed the Jeep 100 yards or more out of the crossfire. McCaslin was wounded in the upper left side of his head. Lieutenant Cox was not wounded but continued to spray the sides of the road with his Thompson Sub-Machine Gun as Wanitschke backed the Jeep.
Herbert Wanitschke told me about this incident at our reunion in San Antonio Sept 1993. Wanitschke was driving a 1/4 ton Jeep on a recon mission with Lieutenant Cox and Howard McCaslin in the back seat operating the radio. The Germans opened up with machine gun fire from both sides catching the jeep in the crossfire. Wanitschke, while wounded, backed the Jeep 100 yards or more out of the crossfire. McCaslin was wounded in the upper left side of his head. Lieutenant Cox was not wounded but continued to spray the sides of the road with his Thompson Sub-Machine Gun as Wanitschke backed the Jeep.
Both Wanitschke and McCaslin were evacuated. McCaslin was sent back to England and later to the US for reconstruction surgery on his jaw and face.
For a long time McCaslin was on our memorial board as killed in action. I (Carl Condon) wasn't sure that this was right so I wrote to Mrs. Howard McCaslin in l990.
Dorothy McCaslin a few weeks later called and told me about what had happened to Howard. She said that through a series of hospitals in England and back in the States, he finally was sent home. He was wounded through the jaw and much of his face was shot away. He owned a business in El Dorado, Kansas, for 30 years. He died of cancer on Sept 26, 1974."
To this account, Dorothy adds, that Howard remembers returning to his unit and the scurry over his wounds. He was placed in a medical facility and was out for four days. When he woke up, he was still covered with blood; the staff had thought there was no hope for him and were attending to the overload of those for whom there was obvious hope. Howard remembered a nurse saying: "My Lord! He's alive!" Then he started receiving attention.
Dorothy said that upon recovery, Howard wanted to make a career out of the military, but was turned down because he was classified as 100 percent disabled. This classification changed later to 70 percent.
Branch:
U.S. Army
Awards and Medals
Rank
Private First Class
Years
World War II—1939 - 1945
Duty
Radioman/Rifleman, U. S. Army Tank Destroyer Battalion