John Edward Tidwell
Sergeant, United States Army, World War II
Company B, 9 Infantry Regiment, 2 Infantry Division
Silver Star Recipient
The Silver Star is the third highest military decoration for valor that can be awarded to any person serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is awarded for gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States. Only the Distinguished Service Cross (Army), Navy Cross (Navy/Marines) or the Air Force Cross and the Medal of Honor rank higher.
John Edward Tidwell was born January 8, 1918, in Guntersville, Marshall County, Alabama, ten months before the World War in Europe ended. His parents Shoddie Charlotte Roden and William “Willie” Franklin Tidwell were married in Marshall County on March 28, 1909 as were his siblings Eugene, Lola May, Dorothy, Odis and Ira Franklin. When John was eight years old his father Willie died of pneumonia at the age of 42 in Marshall County. Four years later the 1930 census found the widowed Charlotte had moved the family to Red River County, Texas and by 1940 to Shelby County, Texas where they lived on a rented farm along highway seven. (1) (2).
Complying with the Selective Service act of 1940, John registered for the military draft on October 16, 1940 at the age of 22 in Center, the county seat of Shelby County. He was living at Route 3 and self-employed as a farmer. John was five foot eight inches tall, 137 pounds with brown eyes, blonde hair and his complexion was listed as ruddy.(3).
John voluntarily enlisted in the US Army the next month, November 21, 1940 in Houston, Texas and following basic training he was assigned to Company B, Ninth Infantry Regiment, Second Infantry Division. The ninth was nicknamed “Manchus” for their fearless fighting in China during the Boxer Rebellion. A year later the Empire of Japan attacked the US Naval Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7, 1941 and the United States found itself in a world war for the second time. John and the Ninth Infantry Regiment reached Europe with the Second Infantry Division in October 1943 for the invasion of France. The Manchus crossed the Rhine in March 1945 and advanced rapidly through Saxony into Czechoslovakia, ending the war with many decorations including three Presidential Unit Citations.(4).
During this action, John now a Sergeant, was wounded in July 1944 from artillery shell fragments and was hospitalized for a month.(5) Six months after returning to his unit he earned the Silver Star for gallantry in action. The Champion Newspaper, Center, Texas quoted the citation.(6)
“Sgt. John E. Tidwell on the night of 2 February 1945, a light machine gun squad of Co. B, 9th Infantry led by Sgt. Tidwell was pinned down by enemy tank fire. At the order of the company commander, this enlisted man led his squad forward under heavy enemy tank and machine gun fire to a building near where two enemy tanks were in position. Instructing his gunner to open fire while he moved forward, Sgt. Tidwell with complete disregard for personal safety, climbed on the first tank, killed one German and took six of the crew prisoners. When the second tank moved up, Sgt. Tidwell repeated this same dangerous action, taking two additional prisoners and killing one German. The gallantry, initiative and disregard for personal safety displayed by this enlisted man reflect highest credit upon himself and the United States Army”. At war’s end he had also earned the Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, American Defense Service Medal, European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with arrowhead and four bronze service stars, World War II Victory Medal, the Presidential Unit Citation with two oak leaf clusters and the coveted Combat Infantryman Badge.
Honorably discharged July 2, 1945, he returned from the war to his bride Imah Cohen who he married in Wisconsin before going overseas and to his son Danny Dale born in September 1944 that he had never seen. They lived in Shelbyville area where John was an electrician for many years and a longtime member of the Shelbyville Methodist Church. He passed on May 16, 2004 at a local nursing home in Center. Services were held at Mangum Funeral Home Chapel Tuesday, May 18 with Rev. Carl Smith and Rev. David Dry officiating. John was buried in the Shelbyville Cemetery with wife Imah who preceded him in 1993. Day is done, God is nigh.(7).
(1) Year: 1930; Census Place: Precinct 8, Red River, Texas; Page: 7A; Enumeration District: 0029; FHL microfilm: 2342120
(2) Year: 1940; Census Place: Shelby, Texas; Roll: m-t0627-04136; Page: 20B; Enumeration District: 210-13
(3) Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
(4). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9th_Infantry_Regiment_(United_States) Accessed February 7, 2021.
(5). Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Hospital Admission Card Files, 1942-1954 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2019. Accessed February 7, 2021.
(6). “Sgt. John E. Tidwell Awarded Silver Star.” The Champion, Center, Texas, May 3, 1945.
(7). Alexander, Nancy. “Timpson & Tenaha News (Timpson, Tex.), Vol. 19, No. 21, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 20, 2004.” Newspaper. The Portal to Texas History, May 20, 2004. https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth773873/m1/7/.
