Edgar Charles Dodson was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, the son of Oscar Blaine Dodson and Suda Tennessee Gilliam. He married Dorothy Mae Caldwell and was the father of Edgar Donald Dodson. His brother Oscar Benjamin Dodson was wounded in Belgium during the war.
Edgar enlisted on May 19, 1944, in Camp Shelby, Mississippi. He served with the 274th Infantry Regiment, 70th Infantry Division
Died on January 12, 1945, in Philipsburg, Netherlands
Private Edgar C. Dodson, of Kimberlin Heights, was repatriated back to the United States after the war. Funeral services were held at Forest Grove Baptist Church on January 23, 1949. Burial Forest Grove Cemetery, Knoxville.
Incidents on January 12, 1945:
On the 11th of January the First Platoon was assigned to support Company D and had to move quite a long way to get into position during the night. We spent until daybreak digging in. The ground was frozen for over a foot but was good sandy digging after that.
We were to support the Infantry Company while they attempted to take the next hill.
The attack started almost immediately and lasted all day and then the Germans mounted a heavy counterattack and drove the Infantry Company back to their original position. We had remained in our holes at the same position and fired cover for the riflemen. The snow that started coming down on the 12th was a very effective camouflage and we did not draw too much fire unless one of our men was seen outside during the daytime. The mortars would then lay into us and keep up an intermittent fire that seemed more to intimidate us than inflict serious harm. Two men from the 1st squad, Pvt.’s Raymond Chambers and Edgar Dodson, both from small towns in Tennessee were sharing the same foxhole in a position where they could watch our flanks. On the afternoon of the 12th Chambers was standing guard and Dodson was catching some sleep when a mortar shell landed nearby. Dodson groaned in his sleep and then was quiet and Chambers thinking that he had been startled did not disturb him. About an hour later when Chambers went to wake him he found that he had been killed.
“Doc” Grimes came over and confirmed the death and took his personal effects to be sent home.
A Battlefield History of B Company, 274th Regiment, 70th Infantry Division World War II January 1 – March 25, 1945
This account compiled by Eugene and Dorothy Inzer
- Rank: Private
- Date of birth: 13 August 1920
- Date of death: 12 January 1945
- County: Knox
- Hometown: Knoxville
- Service Branch: Army/Army Air Forces
- Division/Assignment: 274th Infantry Regiment, 70th Infantry Division
- Theater: Europe
- Conflict: World War II
- Awards: Purple Heart
- Burial/Memorial Location: Forest Grove Cemetery, Knoxville, TN
- Location In Memorial: Pillar VIII, Middle Panel
- Sponsored by: Edgar Donald Dodson
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