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Mrs. Ray J. Pase has returned from visiting her brother P.F.C. Jack Casteel, at a Marine Base Philadelphia. Mrs. Pase has two other brothers in the.
service-- Capt. James R. Casteel with the Paratroops. Camp Mackall, and Sergeant Charles E. Casteel, Air Force, Stuttgart, Ark.
[Cumberland Evening Times, Cumberland, MD, 21 May 1943, Fri, Page 11]
Mrs. Paul C. Fazenbaker, Westernport, received word her brother, James R. Casteel was promoted major, May 30. He
is stationed at South Pine, N. C.. and formerly a pharmacist at Morgantown.
[Cumberland Evening Times, Cumberland, MD, 3 Jun 1943, Thu, Page 13]
Major and Mrs. James R. Casteel are the guests of Mr. and
Mrs. Ray J. Pase, Thomas this the week. Casteel has just recently returned from two
years overseas duty. He has been in the service since 1941 and served with the famous
Eighty--second airborne division. He wears a Presidential Citation, the Purple Heart Medal, the Legion of Merit ribbon, the American Defense ribbon, the
Combat Infantryman's Badge; the ETO ribbon with six combat stars and an arrowhead and the Paratroopers Medal with two stars for combat jumps in Normandy and the invasion
of Holland ,
[The Cumberland News, Cumberland, MD, 29 Oct 1945, Mon, Page 7]-
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WANTED --- Pharmacist for retail store. Apply Durham Drug Company, 330 W. Main Street, Durham. N. C. Telephone 4-945. Mr. James R. Casteel, manager.
[Asheville Citizen-Times, Asheville, NC, 14 Jan 1952, Mon, Page 14]
JAMES CASTEEL
James Casteel.
47, a Cumberland native, died last. Wednesday
A graduate of West Virginia University
School of Pharmacy he operated the Durham Drug Company, and formerly operated
the City Pharmacy. in Morgantown.
Survivors include three sisters, Mrs. Kay Pate. Thomas; Mrs. H W
Campbell, Cumberland, and Mrs. Earl Hawk. Westernport.
Services were conducted Friday in Durham with interment m
Woodlawn Cemetery there.
[The Cumberland News Cumberland,
Maryland 12 Jan 1959, Mon • Page 3]
Death certificate indicates that James died of
from hypernephroma metastasis, a
a malignant tumor that is one of the most common
carcinomas that
meta-stasize to
the head and neck.
He died within 7 months of being first seen by his attending
physician. |
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[courtesy of Estelle Clark]
Grave marker for James R. and Mary M. Casteel in Damon Cemetery,
Newburg, Preston county, West Virginia.
James had already graduated from West Virginia
University with a PhD in Pharmacy and had opened the Durham Drug
Co., store when he went into the service but chose to volunteer for
parachutist duty.
1st Lt Casteel was transferred from Hq ABC AGF to
Hq Hq 508th PIR as part the advance party to Camp Blanding, FL on 1 October 1942
as the regiment prepared for activation.,
He was appointed to the grade of Captain on 16
November 1942 with a date of rank of 7 November.
On 2 March 1943 he was sent on detached service to
Camp Hoffman, NC [note: Camp Hoffman was the original name for Camp
Mackall but renamed on February 8, 1943, apparently the company
clerk was unaware of the name change which occurred less than 4
weeks prior.] Captain Casteel was
probably tasked with making advance arrangements for transitioning the 508th to that
site.
He exchanged his silver bars for gold oak
leafs on 19 May 1943;.
Major Casteel was wounded in action on 6 June 1944
but was able to quickly return to duty ad remained with the regiment
throughout the war.. |
