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MEMORIAL ARTICLE
Published Assembly Jan '52
William Burns Castle No. 15790 Class
of 1946 Died January 23, 1951, at Fort Bragg, NC, aged
30 years. |
"I HAVE never known a more tenacious, conscientious,
and loyal officer. Bill welcomed responsibility and invariably
did an outstanding job. He had to the highest degree that priceless
asset-dependability. The Army can ill afford to lose him."
-Colonel Glenn F. Rogers, Armor.
The above quotation is typical of the opinion of Bill
held by those who knew him, although in this case he served Col.
Rogers as S-3 for only a year. It would be possible to extol
Bill's sincerity, honesty, loyalty, and his many other virtues
for pages, but Bill would not approve. Stan Blum, '46, who served
as "D" Company Commander of the battalion for which
Bill was S-3, said of him: "Bill's highest praise came always
for service and achievement in accord with those positive values
shared by soldiers and men everywhere. Merely to receive that
praise was sufficient reward".
Since almost everyone who worked or associated with
Bill can remember many occasions on which he was indebted to
him for Bill's loyalty or generosity, several, of his closest
associates during his military service have been given the opportunity
of expressing or reiterating their deep respect or appreciation
of Bill as a soldier and a friend. If Bill were to be commended
for his single most outstanding accomplishment, it would probably
be that of "setting the example" in everything he did.
Bob Steele, '46, who served as Headquarters Company Commander
in the battalion previously mentioned, recalls: "The battalion
always functioned smoothly as a team with Bill's masterful organizational
ability and the initiative with which he tackled our problems.
His code as an officer was 'Get it done'. Once at Camp McNair
on Mount Fuji, we were working with small scale maps and aerial
photos of the area. Engineer officers had stated it was impossible
to obtain anything better because of the lack of topigraphical
equipment in the theater. Bill on a Sunday, took an issue compass
and a draftsman, and produced a large scale map of the entire
maneuver area, complete with grid coordinates. The use of the
map by the company commanders led directly to the successful
operation of the battalion in the field. The maps were later
requested by IX Corps for reproduction and issue to all units
of the Corps maneuvering in that immediate area. Bill's selfless
devotion to the Army, his sincerity, and his graciousness will
long be remembered by those of us who knew him and loved him".
Lt. Col. John R. Whittick, G.S.C., who served as executive
officer of the same battalion, recalls his tenacity and perseverance:
"Bill Castle was one of those individuals who could be counted
on to follow an assignment through to the finish. You knew he
would obtain positive results, and this is indeed an outstanding
quality in a young officer".
With Bill, devotion to duty was foremost, as is very
aptly stated by Lt. Col. Andrew R. Cheek, Armor, who successively
served as S-3 of the regiment and as executive and commanding
officer of the battalion: "It is with a deep sense of loss
that I write of my association with Bill Castle. Rarely does
one find an officer with a more sincere devotion to duty. His
personal pleasure and convenience were never considered when
he was assigned a job. Cheerful and willing compliance with directives
was Bill Castle's attitude. No commander could ask for or be
given a more loyal, conscientious, honest, and courteous staff
officer who could do any job. Not only did Bill Castle enjoy
the respect of his superiors, but also of those with whom he
worked and the soldiers he commanded".
Resourcefulness and a sense of humor certainly were
not lacking in Bill's makeup. Stan Blum, '46, touches on this
when he says: "Though his adventuresome spirit led him into
precarious relationships with dame fortune and the higher echelons
of command, no one ever expected a bitter word from Bill. There
was always the enjoyable, the humorous side to consider. He conceived
of reciprocal loyalty as the cornerstone of his labor. His commander,
his associates, and those who followed his instructions and orders
could rely absolutely upon this".
Perhaps the most comprehensive tribute to him and the
most accurate analysis of Bill's character are made by his roommate
at West Point, Bruce Bowen, '46: "Bill was, above all, an
individualist. His bearing and manner quietly affirmed that.
His thoughts as well as his person were to be respected. Yet
there was no hint of coolness or aloofness in him, and he was
one of the gifted few who could be completely natural and at
ease without sacrificing dignity and respect. Just as Bill commanded
the respect of others, so he freely accorded them the same privilege
in full measure, regardless of rank or station. I have never
known a person with such a keen appreciation of the individual
rights of others. In addition to such firm traits of personality,
Bill had a calm and mature approach, not only to his job, but
to everyday living. Hence, when a new or tricky situation arose,
he was the junior officer most often called upon to deal with
it. He handled each job with an abundance of initiative and originality,
tempered always by common sense. Thus each task was finished
quietly, quickly, and without the undue commotion or wasted effort
that would have occurred if half-formulated ideas had been given
free rein. Reflective by nature, Bill had the ability to see
himself and his job in true relation to the larger scheme of
things of which he was a part. Thus Bill was able to cooperate
more closely with others to the end that he worked with superior
effectiveness in his chosen profession".
Of course there are many more of Bill's friends who
would like to have had the opportunity to express themselves
here. For those who also loved and respected Bill, but who have
not been quoted in this memorial to him, Ed Roxbury, '46, who
served as C Company Commander in the same battalion with him
sums up with: "I thought the world of Bill. He was a good
soldier, with all that that implies, and perhaps even more important,
with the ability to make those around him aspire to be as good
a soldier as he was".
-Larry Elder, '46.
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