| Sources |
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 8 Jun 2001.
Fred Greer Baxter obituary
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 18 Jul 2014.
Eston Baxter: a Cosby boy remembered
Taken shortly before he left Cocke County, this photo is identified as “Eston Baxter and Lou Grimsley.” Perhaps she is the Lou referred to in his last letter.
‘As It Was Give To Me’ Duay O’Neil
The 70th anniversary of D-Day, the term used for the Allied invasion of France in 1944, captured the attention of millions of people around the world.
Many of us remained glued to the television coverage of ceremonies showing world leaders gathered on the beaches for services of remembrance. To me, the most poignant segments were those featuring WWII veterans, now in their late 80s and early-to-mid 90s, returning to these battlefields and sharing their memories.
A few days after the television coverage ended, another ceremony was held. Fifteen teenagers from around the world and their teachers ended a six-months study of WWII and the Battle of Normandy by visiting the sites that played such vital roles in our struggle for freedom and that helped bring an end to the Nazi reign of terror in Europe.
Among them were rising Cosby High senior Caley Williamson and her history teacher Hillery Griffin.
Today’s column and next week’s will feature a Cocke County soldier who paid the supreme sacrifice 70 years ago. As part of her study as a Normandy Scholar, Caley was required to select a soldier who had died at Normandy, research his life, and, ultimately, deliver a eulogy to him at the battlefield.
Caley quickly discovered that a Cosby boy, Eston Baxter, was one of those brave young men. Before her research ended, she would meet his only surviving brother, Frank Baxter, read Eston’s letters to his family, including one penned just days before his death, and copy pictures of this local member of the “Greatest Generation.” She would also discover that she and her teacher are both distant cousins through the Baxter family.
Caley and Hillery have generously shared their research with me in preparation for these two columns.
Eston Baxter was born in 1922 “up on Cosby,” a son of Jasper Allen Baxter, himself a World War I veteran, and Edna Valentine Baxter. He had another brother, Greer Baxter. His father had died in 1939, leaving the two oldest boys, Eston and Greer, to help care for an aging grandfather, his widowed mother, their baby brother Frank, and a cousin.
Drafted in 1942, he was originally in the 113th infantry providing defense for the Eastern seaboard, but was transferred sometime between April and June of 1944 to the 12th infantry, 4th Division, and assigned to the 1st Battalion, Company B.
In April of 1944, he wrote his mother and said they were splitting up the 113th Infantry. “I guess you know where we are going,” he said. Sad to leave his buddies, he boarded a ship for Europe.
The 4th Division was the spearhead on June 6, 1944, or D-Day, at Utah Beach in Normandy. The beaches’ code names of Utah, Omaha, Sword, Juno, and Gold have become more familiar to us in recent days as we watched American, British, and Canadian veterans gather there.
On June 17, he wrote his mother:
From: PvT. Eston A. Baxter
C.PM New York, NY
June 17, 1944
Dear Mother:
Somewhere in France.
Well I thought that I would write you a few lines to let you know that I am O.K. and hope it will find you all well and having a good time. Tell Frank and Greer and Imogene I said hello and for them to be good and hope to see you all soon. Tell Mrs. [no other name] that I am okay and will write her when I have time. what is Dewy doing now? Has he ever got him a job yet or does he try to get one? When have you heard from Lou? I never have wrote her yet. Tell Mary Jane I said hello and all of them.
Well, I will close so answer soon.
From your son Eston to mother & all
This would be his last letter home.
Thanks to Hillery and Caley’s research, we can follow Eston in his last days as he headed for his destiny.
As those thousands of young soldiers disembarked on June 6 from specially designed craft as the largest amphibious invading force in history, they were already under heavy enemy fire, many dying before they could reach land, the waters quickly turning red with their blood.
On Utah Beach, the 4th Infantry Division faced less enemy resistance than the other beaches, By noon, the 12th regiment had joined its divisional brothers in the 8th and 22nd on the beach and had begun their push to secure the Cotentin Peninsula for the Allies.
On June 7, after establishing a six-mile beachhead, the 12th Infantry got very little sleep because the Germans continued firing during the night. During the night, a patrol from Eston’s Company B located and destroyed an 88mm gun.
The Allies resumed their attacks at 6:00 a.m., reinforced by troops who had continued to arrive on the beach during the night. Eston’s First Battalion made it to the Azeville Road, but the German army circled behind them, cutting them off from the rest of their division.
June 8 found Eston and his battalion under heavy attack by 7:30 a.m., but with the help of reinforcements from the 359th, they survived. They faced a counter-attack that afternoon from a German bicycle unit sporting machine guns. Had this counterattack succeeded, the Germans could have pushed the Allies back to the beach. The 12th Infantry repelled the counterattack and pushed forward, leaving other regiments behind and their flank unprotected.
By June 10, the Germans had repositioned themselves. When morning broke, the 12th Regiment began a long advance, crossing the Montebourg-St. Floxel Road with the assistance of a tank battalion, bypassing Montebourg (it being the objective of the 8th Regiment).
On June 11, all three Battalions continued their march toward the German-held higher ground north of the Montebourg-St. Floxel Road. From their vantage point, the Germans shelled the Allied troops’ front lines. For the first time since D-Day, the 12th also faced fire from enemy planes. By now, the German numbers had been greatly reduced and the remaining troops had not eaten for several days. The 1st Battalion encountered the enemy around 8:20 a.m. and reached their objective by 8:33 a.m. That night, the 12th fell back so the Allied line would be even. The 1st Battalion provided cover during the night, and the enemy made no attempt to reoccupy their lost ground. Reinforcements joined the 12th Infantry that day. If Eston was not with the 12th on D-Day, it is likely he became part of this regiment during this time.
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 25 Jul 2014.
As the hours and days pass, Eston Baxter moves closer to death at Normandy
PHOTOS COURTESY OF CALEY WILLIAMSON AND HILLERY GRIFFIN
Caley Williamson placed French and American flags
As part of her visit to Pvt. Eston Baxter’s grave, Caley Williamson placed French and American flags and a rose at his grave in the American Cemetery at Normandy.
As It Was Give To Me’ Duay O’Nei
Last week’s column was the first in a two-part series telling the story of Eston Baxter, a young Cosby soldier who became one of the thousands of casualties in the Battle of Normandy during World War II.
Through the careful research of rising Cosby High senior Caley Williamson and her history teacher Hillery Griffin, we can follow Baxter’s last days in this battle for the world’s freedom.
On June 12, 1944, the 4th Division was consolidated with the 12th Infantry, the 8th Infantry, and the 22nd Infantry. The 1st Battalion was held in reserve, but Company B and Company D joined the 2nd Battalion to smash a German counterattack and force the Nazis to surrender. The day’s end found the Allied front widespread, contact maintained through heavily armed patrols and the enemy still on the main east-west ridge to the north.
By June 13, it had become clear that Germany was going to be unable to drive the Allied forces back to the beach, but they remained determined to fight, refusing to cede an inch. Meanwhile, more troops and supplies arrived regularly at Utah Beach. Now the Allied objective was the capture of Cherbourg as quickly as possible.
Over the next five days—June 13-18—Baxter and his fellow soldiers took time to regroup and re-supply. They had captured Montebourg and were now within five miles of Valognes, a key rail and road center of the peninsula. They conducted patrols and periodically encountered pockets of resistance from determined German soldiers.
On June 17, Private Eston Baxter wrote his last letter to his mother, heading it “Somewhere in France.”
On June 19, the 12th Infantry, operating at first under radio silence, began an effort to capture two hills the Germans were using for artillery fire. The 1st Battalion followed the line to the single track railroad north of Montebourg, but were stopped by enemy fire after an hour and a half. They waited for support from a tank battalion.
By 10:30 a.m., they had taken their first objective and turned their efforts to help the 3rd Battalion try to capture the other hill.
Fighting was fierce. During the early morning, the 1st Battalion lost many officers and replacements in leadership had not been made. Enemy fire hit the medical station. At 4:00 p.m., the 1st Battalion moved to the reserve position on the high ground just south of Anneville.
June 21 found the 12th Infantry moved to a position in the Bois de Coudray, a heavily wooded area about one and a half miles long and about 1000 yards wide. As soon as the Allies emerged from the woods, enemy fire erupted. The 1st Battalion was between the 3rd and 8th Infantry, with a three-mile gap between the two regiments. Lt/Col John Merrill commanded the 1st Battalion, men who were deep in the forest on the high ground bordering a stream to the south of the Bois de Coudray.
On June 22, for the first time, the 12th Infantry faced a serious threat from the German Luftwaffe (Air Force), who strafed a patrol headed to bolster the 8th Infantry’s flank that was under enemy attack. During the day, the 3rd Battalion found themselves completely surrounded by the Germans.
The regimental commander found himself under great stress as he focused on trying to get relief and supplies to his isolated troops. They needed tanks, but the pathways were narrow trails, the ground was boggy, and the Nazis had mined the area. Scouts continued to search for a path to the 3rd Battalion during the night, even though the Third’s commander assured his superior they did not need to be re-supplied immediately.
Fighting continued inexorably.
At 7:30 a.m. June 24, the 1st Battalion was paired with six tanks to take the high ground north of Digisville. Company B led the assault with Company C. The Air Corps bombed the enemy’s strong points first and inflicted some damage to the Allied front lines.
When the battalion paused to reorganize, the Nazis pinned them down. Tanks arrived with relief, and the 1st Battalion captured a German command post and took possession of valuable documents. Company B took 225 prisoners. As they prepared to their next objective, friendly fire hit a scouting party.
From the high ground, the Allies watched as German vehicles fled into Cherbourg. By 9:40 p.m., the Allies had cut off the road and isolated the Germans defending an airfield from an attack. During the night the 1st Battalion seized several anti-aircraft guns, a searchlight, and ammunition. Company B captured an additional 395 prisoners.
Sometime during this day Eston Baxter was killed in action.
June 25 found Germany’s back to the sea. The 12th Division was given the point as the 4th Division marched into Cherbourg. Fighting continued two more days before the D-Day objective could be declared successful and accomplished. All armies then turned toward Paris.
It would be a month before a telegram informing them of their loved one’s supreme sacrifice arrived at the Baxter’s Cosby home. Although he was very young, Eston’s surviving brother remembers it was a Sunday and that his mother instantly knew what the cars coming up the road meant because seeing vehicles on their isolated road was rare.
Baxter’s body was buried in the American cemetery at Normandy, a beautifully maintained and emotionally moving spot.
Seventy years to the day after his death, Caley Williamson, a distant cousin, delivered the following eulogy in his memory. She also placed American and French flags and a rose at his gravestone.
Some lives are quiet. So quiet, it seems that they never existed. I began to realize this when I researched the life of Private Eston A. Baxter. Eston lived on a small family farm in the sleepy town of Cosby, Tennessee. We share a hometown and a common ancestor.
His family didn’t have much money; his father died when Eston was only seventeen. Eston was forced to grow up prematurely to care for his elderly grandfather, his mother, two younger brothers, and a younger cousin. He was no stranger to hard work.
To his family’s dismay, he was drafted in 1942, and throughout his wartime experience he wrote countless letters to his family. He wrote to his momma, to his little brother Frank-his little buddy-who, at age five, couldn’t even read yet, and to his many girlfriends back some-some of whom did not always write back. He told them how he was doing and asked if they were well. In one letter, he told of a man getting discharged. “I wish it was me, momma,” he wrote. He once asked his mother for money to get home on furlough, claiming he would hitchhike if he had to. He always signed his letters, “So answer soon,” which only reiterated the fact he longed to return to his small home in the mountains.
His last letter was written on June 17, 1944, from somewhere in France, and the next news his family received was a telegram announcing he had been killed in action. His little brother remembers the day well because “they all knew what the car in the driveway meant.”
…On June 24, 1944, while trying to capture the port of Cherbourg, he lost his life. …[That day] his company captured…a German command post, ammunition stores, and 395 prisoners. There were 15 [Allies] killed that day. He was awarded the Bronze star August 17, 1988 for meritorious achievement in ground combat against the armed enemy during World War II.
Eston gave the ultimate sacrifice for his country, yet the memory of his life fades with time. His youngest brother was so small when Eston left for war that he has very little memory of him. His niece only knew that her father encouraged her grandmother to leave [his body] here [in France], buried amongst the men he served and died with. While she never knew him personally, she has enjoyed learning about his life along with us. You will not find his name in a history book, nor will you find the names of countless others who have died in the name of war. Today we honor a soldier buried in this cemetery to keep his memory alive for a little longer, so that his legacy will not be buried with him.
To Eston, you have inspired me to push myself a little harder, to make the most of the time that we do have. Life is not always just; when the world needed them most, there were the men who answered the call. Each soldier not only bore the weight of his pack but the burden of sacrifice. These men are the reason we are standing here today. They enabled democracy to continue, and we must honor them by constantly seeking to do better for the future.
William Faulkner wrote, “The past is not dead. It’s not even past.” This is closely reflected in the world the Normandy invasion made possible. Like Eston, most of the soldiers buried here led quiet lives, but the impact of their actions echoes loudly and shakes all who listen.
- [S112] Census, 1930.
Name: Eston Baxter
Event Type: Census
Event Year: 1930
Event Place: District 09, Cocke, Tennessee, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 8
Marital Status: Single
Race: White
Race (Original): White
Relationship to Head of Household: Grandson
Relationship to Head of Household (Original): Grandson
Birth Year (Estimated): 1922
Birthplace: Tennessee
Father's Birthplace: Tennessee
Mother's Birthplace: Tennessee
Affiliate Film Number: 2238
Household Role Gender Age Birthplace
Green Valentine Head M 81 Tennessee
Allen Baxter Son-in-law M 32 Tennessee
Edna Baxter Daughter F 30 Tennessee
Eston Baxter Grandson M 8 Tennessee
Greer Baxter Grandson M 1 Tennessee
- [S112] Census, 1940.
Name: Eston Baxter
Event Type: Census
Event Date: 1940
Event Place: Civil District 9, Cocke, Tennessee, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 18
Marital Status: Single
Race (Original): White
Race: White
Relationship to Head of Household (Original): Son
Relationship to Head of Household: Son
Birthplace: Tennessee
Birth Year (Estimated): 1922
Last Place of Residence: Same House
Household Role Gender Age Birthplace
Edna Baxter Head F 40 Tennessee
Eston Baxter Son M 18 Tennessee
Greer Baxter Son M 11 Tennessee
Frank Baxter Son M 3 Tennessee
Green Valentine Father M 72 Tennessee
Imogene Cummings Niece F 11 Tennessee
- [S136] Millitary Record.
Name: Eston A Baxter
Name (Original): BAXTER ESTON A
Event Type: Military Service
Event Date: 03 Nov 1942
Term of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law
Event Place: Ft Oglethorpe, Georgia, United States
Race: White
Citizenship Status: citizen
Birth Year: 1922
Birthplace: TENNESSEE
Education Level: Grammar school
Civilian Occupation: Cash grain farmers
Marital Status: Single, with dependents
Military Rank: Private
Army Branch: Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA
Army Component: Selectees (Enlisted Men)
Source Reference: Civil Life
Serial Number: 34490992
Affiliate ARC Identifier: 1263923
Box Film Number: 08073.229
- [S147] Find a Grave, (Memorial: 56642190).
- [S58] Marriage Certificate.
Name: Allen Baxter
Birth Date:
Birthplace:
Age:
Spouse's Name: Edna Valentine
Spouse's Birth Date:
Spouse's Birthplace:
Spouse's Age:
Event Date: 30 May 1920
Event Place: Cocke, Tennessee, United States
Father's Name:
Mother's Name:
Spouse's Father's Name:
Spouse's Mother's Name:
Race:
Marital Status:
Previous Wife's Name:
Spouse's Race:
Spouse's Marital Status:
Spouse's Previous Husband's Name:
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: I03286-3
System Origin: Tennessee-EASy
GS Film number: 1928645
Reference ID: 253
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