James Robert Caldwell
Second Lieutenant
James Robert Caldwell
Hometown
Date of Birth
Location of Death
Date of Death
Location of Burial
More About Second Lieutenant Caldwell
Second Lieutenant James Robert Caldwell was involved in the ROTC at UW-Madison. After graduating with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, he accepted an appointment with the Engineer Corps Officer's Reserve as a 2nd lieutenant on June 8, 1940. Caldwell completed his training in Michigan and was stationed in bases across the US. Shortly thereafter, he was sent to the Hawaiian Islands.
He was assigned to the 803rd Engineer Battalion (Aviation) and sent to the Philippine Islands in July 1940. On Dec. 7, 1941, the Japanese launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, bringing America into WWII. At the same time, they attacked various American installations in the Pacific, including Nichols Field where Caldwell was stationed. Lieutenant Caldwell was killed in action on Jan. 15, 1942, in defense of the Philippine Islands. His body was never recovered.
Caldwell was described as a "superior type of student" and "a man of serious purpose."
Second Lieutenant James Robert Caldwell is memorialized in a cenotaph at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Lodi, Wisconsin. He is also immortalized on the Tablets of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in Manila, Philippines.