Corp Robert Edward “Eddie” Caldwell
Birth: Mar. 23, 1947, Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., NC
Death: Feb. 28, 1968 Quang Tri, Vietnam
US Marine Corporal Robert Edward Caldwell was 20 years old and was not married. Robert died when his helicopter crashed. His body was recovered. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Caldwell, Charlotte, NC. He served with Headquarters and Services Company, 3rd Battalion, 26th Marines, 1st Marine Division, 3rd MAF. He was awarded The Combat Action Ribbon(CAR), The Purple Heart Medal for his combat related wounds, The Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Service Medal, The National Defense Service Medal and the Good Conduct Medal.
Burial: Forest Lawn West Cemetery, Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., NC Plot: Sect. P, Lot 145, Space # 4
(Source: Posted with permission of Tom & Jim Reece, #46857744; finding NC Vietnam KIA/MIA’s gravesites
; Reconfigured and submitted by: Ron Yates)
I was Eddie’s fiance’ and loved him and his family so very much. Eddie died just a few days short of coming home after 13 months of intense combat. I was a second year Nursing student at “mercy school of nursing”and was working a clinical shift when the unit received a call to send me back to my dormitory. I was so excited because I thought it was my Eddie who had arrived home(he told us all that he was going to surprise us and not let any of us know his arrival. How Eddie and I, Mr and Mrs Caldwell dreamed of his home coming and longed for his safe return. We felt he had survived his tour of duty and were so very aware of the constant danger he faced everyday and the courage and strength and determination to come back to us. we all were finally allowing ourselves to believe our Eddie might just have survived this horrible war. Oh how we loved him and was so very proud of him.
When I arrived from the hospital unit to my dormitories’ lobby, I was certain that when I turned the corner to the lobby, that my Eddie would be standing there! I was crying for joy and feeling relief and was actually running around the corner and to his arms! I loved and still love him more than life itself. when I rounded the corner, I stopped in absolute horror, as Reverend Koker was standing there with his arms out stretched and such pain on his face. He was the minister at the baptist church I attended often when Eddie was here, and continued each week to do so with his parents for the almost thirteen months he had been at war. It was the most excruciating anguish I had ever experienced in my entire life. reverand Koker drove me over to Mr and Mrs Caldwell’s house, and I could not bear the pain I saw in them, as i was very,very close to them and loved them so. I stayed with them day and night for the next several weeks, until Eddie’s body had finally arrived home. He had been burned beyond recognition, so no one ever viewed his body or touched him again. It was so very hard to come to terms with his death because of this for all of us. I did keep in touch with his parents from time to time throughout our entire lives.They are both deceased now. I so miss and love and cherish all of them so. They were the greatest of people to everyone, and were so loving to me and they truly were my only family that I had. they will always be that to me, as my Eddie will always be the love of my life. A day has not gone by throughout my entire 65 years of existence thus far, when I have not longed for him, missed him so much and my love for him has not in an way diminished. He is always with me in my heart and soul-I know that for certain.
Eddie, I love you and cherish you and thank God for the blessing of giving me such a loving and beautiful person in my life forever!
Marie
Marie,
Thank you for sharing such touching memories of Corporal Caldwell and his family.
I just want to say how proud I am of you Granny. You honor him by talking about the good he did in people’s lives, but you also honor the marraige that you were committed to when you share how special he still is to you. I can imagine that he loved you very much and your family looked so forward to spending the rest of their lives with their son and his beautiful wife. Life has brought you down some challenging roads, but it still brought us together and I am so thankful for the amazing, strong, sensible and in-touch woman my grandmother is. This is living, being honest with those you love. Hold nothing back Granny fluff.
My dear Nelson. I am so proud of you! I am just now realizing and reading this!i will treasure your words and depth of your understanding forever!
today is my best friends birthday – Eddie was my best friend and I think about him everyday – I have many photos of him and us together that I would like to share with you (if you are interested) I don’t know if he ever told you about me and our friendship – we were in Vietnam at the same time – I still have the last letter he wrote to me – miss my best friend – if you would like to contact me – email address is – Happy Birthday Eddie
Still love you Bill and Madeline. A long time since we have connected.please email me!