PVT. Norman Elmer Campbell
U.S. Army (32946397)
Company G, 379th Infantry Regiment, 95th Infantry Division, 3rd Army
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Norman Elmer Campbell was born November 12, 1913, in Rome, Oneida County, New York, to Golden E. (1890-1962) and Bertha Treen (1895-1952) Campbell. Norman had two sisters, Delilah Alice Campbell Trachsel (1917-?) and Arlene Campbell Schrider (1921-?). According to U.S. Census records, both Golden and Bertha were born in New York. In the 1920 and 1930 census records, Golden worked as a brass caster at Revere Brass and Copper; in 1940 he worked there as a red benchman. Bertha was a housewife and later worked as a laundress in their own home.
Norman graduated from Rome Free Academy in 1933. He was the assistant art editor of the “Orange Parrot,” a “quarterly production designed to interest the student in literature of the better sort.” The Class Prophecy stated that “Norman Campbell was also in Washington, but not as an official. He had obtained permission from the government to live at the top of the Washington Monument and was able to live away from crowds.”
Rome Free Academy, De-O-Wain-Sta (1933 yearbook)
Norman Campbell, back row in white shirt (1933 RFA Yearbook)
Norman was a member of the First Methodist Church in Rome, New York, and active in its Youth Council and Epworth League.
Norman registered for the draft in Rome, New York, on October 16, 1940. At that time, he worked for General Cable Corporation. Norman was 6’1” tall, weighed 200 pounds, and had blue eyes and brown hair.
His Draft Registration Card
On May 30, 1941, Norman married Miss Edna Shaw, daughter of Effie (Reed) and the late William Shaw of Steuben. Norman was employed as a senior electrician and mechanic at Rome Air Depot prior to induction into the Army.
Norman, along with 62 other men, reported to Utica, New York, on October 20, 1943, for a physical and induction into the U.S. Army. Men accepted by the Army were granted a three-week furlough before being required to report to an Army reception center. Pvt. Campbell, therefore, entered the Army on November 10, 1943, and received basic training at Fort McClellan, Alabama. He later received motor mechanics training at Fort Benning, Georgia.
Daily Sentinel, Rome, NY, November 10, 1943, page 8
Norman Campbell in 2nd row center
Pvt. Campbell was sent overseas in late July, 1944, and trained in England for three and a half months before going into combat in November, 1944. Pvt. Campbell served with Company G, 379th Infantry Regiment, 95th Infantry Division, in Patton’s Third Army.
The 95th Infantry Regiment was sent into combat on October 19 in the Moselle bridgehead sector in northeastern France, east of Moselle and south of Metz, capturing the forts surrounding Metz and repulsing enemy attempts to cross the river. It was during the defense of this town from repeated German attacks that the division received its nickname, “The Iron Men of Metz”. The division pushed toward the Saar and entered Germany on November 28.
On December 2, 1944, Pvt. Campbell was killed in action in Germany by artillery shell fragments. He was the 50th citizen of Rome, New York, to give his life in the service of his country. Pvt. Campbell received the Purple Heart and the Rome Medal of Honor posthumously. Pvt. Campbell’s brother-in-law, Karl Schrider, was killed in action in France, on August 31, 1944.
A memorial service for Pvt. Norman Campbell was held on Sunday, December 31, 1944, at the First Methodist Church, Rome, New York. His body was returned home to New York in September, 1948. Services were held at his parents’ home and at the First Methodist Church, Rome, New York, on September 16, 1948. He was buried in the Wright Settlement Cemetery in Rome, Oneida County, New York.
Norman’s widow, Edna, married Ronald S. Eaton on July 17, 1946, in Oneida, NY, where they made their home. Mr. Eaton served three years in WWII in the US Army, 26 months of which was in the European Theater of Operations.
End notes: This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars Project, a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 421,000+ of the US WWII fallen saved on Together We Served and Fold3 web sites. Can you help write these stories? These stories will be accessible via smartphone app at any war memorial or cemetery. If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute to it, please contact hillerson@beyondbb.com.
Date: 3/19/2024
Sources:
US Army Center of Military History: https://history.army.mil/documents/eto-ob/95ID-ETO.htm
Find a Grave: (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/13852241/norman-campbell memorial page for PVT Norman Campbell (1913–2 Dec 1944), Find a Grave Memorial ID 13852241, citing Wright Settlement Cemetery, Rome, Oneida County, New York, USA; Maintained by Kimberly Campbell (contributor 50300815).
Find a Grave: (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/13882640/karl_w-schrider memorial page for Karl W. Schrider (1915–1944), Find a Grave Memorial ID 13882640, citing Holland Patent Cemetery, Holland Patent, Oneida County, New York, USA; Maintained by DBT (contributor 46622280).
Find a Grave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/57346611/ronald_s-eaton memorial page for Ronald S. Eaton (1924–1991), Find a Grave Memorial ID 57346611, citing Saint Helena's Cemetery, Oneida, Madison County, New York, USA; Maintained by Andrew L. (contributor 46818829).
Fold3: https://www.fold3.com/record/86650668/norman-e-campbell-us-wwii-army-enlistment-records-1938-1946
Fold3: https://www.fold3.com/image/712939141?rec=641567523
Fold3: https://www.fold3.com/image/310770916?rec=299532057
Center for Military History – 379th Infantry Regiment: https://history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/lineages/branches/regt/0379rgt.htm
95th Infantry Division – The Iron Men of Metz: https://www.ironmenofmetz.fr/379gb.htm
Sons of Liberty Museum – 95th Infantry Division: https://www.sonsoflibertymuseum.org/95th-infantry-division-ww2.cfm
Lone Sentry: https://www.lonesentry.com/gi_stories_booklets/95thinfantry/index.html
The Institute of Heraldry: https://tioh.army.mil/Catalog/HeraldryMulti.aspx?CategoryId=7155&grp=2&menu=Uniformed%20Services
HonorStates.Org: https://www.honorstates.org/profiles/395903/
Military Bases.com – Fort McClellan, AL: https://militarybases.com/alabama/fort-mcclellan/
Fort Benning, GA (now Fort Moore): https://www.fortbenninghousing.com/history
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