Private James R. Maddox

Private James R. Maddox, 15^th Infantry Regiment, 3^rd Infantry Division

Private James Robert Maddox was born in 1924 in Detroit, Michigan.[1] His parents were Claude H. Maddox Sr. and Nita Maddox.[2] Private Maddox’s father was drafted into World War I in 1917 or 1918 and was lucky enough to return and start a family[3]. Claude Maddox, Sr. became a manager at Chevrolet, earning the family a comfortable way of life.[4] Claude Maddox Sr. and Nita Maddox married on September 25^th, 1922 in Detroit, Michigan.[5] Between 1924 and 1926, the Maddox family moved to Florida and Private Maddox’s younger brother William was born. The Maddox family would move again between the years 1926 and 1930 to Colombia, South Carolina, where Claude Jr. was born in 1933.[6] The family moved back to Pensacola, Florida by 1935.[7] By 1943 the family moved again to Tallahassee, Florida.[8] In Tallahassee, all three boys went to school, and Private Maddox finished high school.[9]

Private Maddox enlisted into the army on February 27^th, 1943 from Camp Blanding, Florida.[10] He was then placed into the 15^th Infantry Regiment, 3^rd Infantry Division of the army[11]. The 15th was a well-decorated unit, earning 16 Medals of Honor, more than most divisions. The 15th's displays of heroism came at a cost, 1,633 men of the 15th were killed in action and 419 were missing in action. The 3rd Infantry Division had 38 Medals of Honor, the most of any division. They also had the hightest losses of any division, with 4,922 killed in action and 636 who died of wounds.[12]

This regiment faced a multitude of combat situations during World War II. Heavy regimental combat includes Licata, Sicily, on July 10, 1943; Salerno, Italy, September 18, 1943; and Anzio, Italy, landing January 22, 1944.[13] As Private Maddox enlisted in February of 1943 it is likely he participated in many of these campaigns. The regiment landed in Southern France on August 15^th, 1944.[14] On October 9^th, 1944 the regiment fell under heavy combat when Lt. Victor Kandle led a platoon of sixteen soldiers to attack a German position halting the American advance.[15] Private Maddox was killed in action this same day.[16] According to historian Duane Denfeld, it is highly likely Private Maddox engaged in this struggle.[17] Private Maddox was twenty years old when he was killed.[18] He is buried in Epinal, France.[19]

Written by Allison Stanley

[1] Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, 1938-1946 [Archival Database]; ARC: 1263923. World War II Army Enlistment Records; Records of the National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 64; National Archives at College Park. College Park, Maryland, U.S.A. Ancestry.com. http://www.ancestry.com/inst/discoveries/PfRecord?emailId=N-ce3ffb92-402d-4c54-bef7-629839c7a49e&collectionId=8939&recordId=7210777&ahsht=2016-09-19T15:03:34&language=en-US&ahsh=e096a966cbb5914746148633b2b0afc6 (accessed September 19^th, 2016).

[2] United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627, 4,643 rolls. Ancestry.com. http://www.ancestry.com/inst/discoveries/PfRecord?emailId=N-26e2fa1d-d0de-46cd-8645-deeffbafb84b&collectionId=2442&recordId=133250287&ahsht=2016-09-19T15:03:34&language=en-US&ahsh=7799d616afe2286865a0fa2fa0e794a5 (accessed September 19^th, 2016).

[3] United States, Selective Service System. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. M1509, 4,582 rolls. Imaged from Family History Library microfilm. Ancestry.com http://www.ancestry.com/inst/discoveries/PfRecord?emailId=N-40727432-80f1-4e74-9388-772b4ee24134&collectionId=6482&recordId=9619741&ahsht=2016-09-19T15:03:34&language=en-US&ahsh=f136fbcf06c07fc3d87d32d09c31b530 (accessed September 20, 2016).

[4] United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627, 4,643 rolls.

[5] Michigan, Marriage Records, 1867–1952. Michigan Department of Community Health, Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics. Ancestry.com. http://www.ancestry.com/inst/discoveries/PfRecord?emailId=N-48ba3520-c838-441f-87c3-d1b748e9b0f8&collectionId=9093&recordId=183962&ahsht=2016-09-19T15:03:34&language=en-US&ahsh=b32fb95ce39fd482915e568f93ac8e50 (accessed September 20, 2016).

[6] United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. T626, 2,667 rolls. Ancestry.com. http://www.ancestry.com/inst/discoveries/PfRecord?emailId=N-b9ab832a-db43-49c7-821f-f8712751f509&collectionId=6224&recordId=96776682&ahsht=2016-09-19T15:03:34&language=en-US&ahsh=6c5fb09d4afcf8b4864e7055e9b5ac90 (accessed September 20, 2016).; United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627, 4,643 rolls. Ancestry.com

[7] United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627, 4,643 rolls. Ancestry.com

[8] Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, 1938-1946 [Archival Database]; ARC: 1263923. World War II Army Enlistment Records; Records of the National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 64; National Archives at College Park. College Park, Maryland, U.S.A.

[9] Ibid

[10] Ibid

[11] American Battle Monuments Commission. World War I Listing; World War II Listing; Korean War Listing. American Battle Monuments Commission. Ancestry.com. http://www.ancestry.com/inst/discoveries/PfRecord?emailId=N-4cdbf54a-f637-468e-8b5e-c2406da58647&collectionId=8853&recordId=106077&ahsht=2016-09-19T15:03:34&language=en-US&ahsh=a4c32c86f6764f3c59f92c4f1db6c09b (accessed September 19, 2016).

[12] Denfeld Duane C. 15^th Regiments, United States Army. Article. From historylink.org. Web. http://www.historylink.org/File/10353 (accessed September 21, 2016).

[13] Ibid

[14] Ibid

[15] Duane C. Denfeld, e-mail message to author, October 3, 2016.

[16] American Battle Monuments Commission. World War I Listing; World War II Listing; Korean War Listing. American Battle Monuments Commission. Ancestry.com.

[17] Duane C. Denfeld, e-mail message to author, October 3, 2016.

[18] United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627, 4,643 rolls.

[19] American Battle Monuments Commission. World War I Listing; World War II Listing; Korean War Listing. American Battle Monuments Commission. Ancestry.com