Person:Edgar Caldwell (1)

Ed's father, George, moved from Smithville, TN to Alcoa, TN to work for the Aluminum Company (ALCOA) when Ed was about 6-8 years old -- around 1923. When the school kids acted up, they made the kids cut willow switches, and had to hold hands and thrash each other with the switches. Apparently fairly effective.

All the boys played instruments. Helen lived across the street from the Caldwell family and they would gather on the front porch and play every night. They also played school functions and partries. Ed played the mandolin, Thurston steel guitar, Claudia and Tyson could play anything; they also had an organ and piano. Tyson also played accordion.

Before he went in the service for WWII in 1942, Ed played with Homer and Jethro, locally, and then he played some with the Blue Ridge Quartet, a gospel group. One of "Homer and Jethro" lived right there on Spruce Street in Knoxville. Ed never played music after they were married, except piano at church.

Got out of service in Jan 1946 -- returning from Germany the ship was overcrowded; they had a big storm, lost power, lost communication, couldn't steer and spent 20 days adrift, nearly starved.... plane spotted them, ship was listing by this time, required two tugs, one to right the ship and one to tow it in... don't know what port.

Helen knew him before he went in the service. He was in Germany, France, possibly Italy as a medic. She corresponded with him, as well as Don and many others, through the war and he sent Helen a picture of his "little fat girlfriend in Germany;" she was German.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Helen Caldwell.