OH140 Charles Eldridge Oral History

Authors

John Watson

Collection Title

Jackson Purchase Oral History Project - World War II

Series Number

OH140

Interviewee

Eldridge, Charles

Interviewer

Watson, John

Date Interviewed

December, 1981

Processed by

Benjamin J. Drake

Date Processed

October 28th, 2011

Description

1 sound disc (58 minutes)

Abstract

Charles Eldridge offers details into his experiences during the Second World War. He describes life in Calloway County, Kentucky prior to and after the war. He was drafted and stationed at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana and later at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Injured in a training accident at Fort Leonard Wood, he spent the remainder of the war at O'Reilly Veterans Hospital in Springfield, Missouri. He recalls his experiences at the hospital and with the Veterans Administration. He describes the general opinion of the people of Calloway County following the war and its effect upon the community. He concludes by mentioning significant individuals and events during the war.

Biographical/Historical Note

Charles Eldridge was born in Hamlin, Kentucky sometime in the early 1920s. After graduating from high school in New Concord, Kentucky, he attended Murray State Teacher's College (currently Murray State University). In March of 1943, he was drafted into the infantry and sent to Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana. He was later assigned to the 75th Division and stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. He severely injured his leg during a training exercise and spent the remainder of the war at O'Reilly Veterans Hospital at Springfield, Missouri. Discharged in October 1945, he returned to Murray State Teachers College and after graduation was employed by the college.

General Information

No user access to original recordings. Use audio user copies, digital derivatives, transcripts, and/or tape indexes. This collection may be protected from unauthorized copying by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code). Permission for reproduction must be requested from Murray State University.

Subject Headings/Descriptors

Eldridge, Charles

Soldiers - Kentucky - Hamlin

World War, 1939-1945 - Personal narratives, American.

Murray (Ky.) - History.

Calloway County (Ky.)

Hamlin (Ky.)

Fort Leonard Wood (Mo.)

Fort Benjamin Harrison (Ind.)

O'Reilly General Hospital (Springfield, Mo.)

Recommended Citation

Watson, John, "OH140 Charles Eldridge Oral History" (2025). World War II. 6.
https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/oh-wwii/6