MARINE PFC CHARLES W. KEEL, JR. KILLED AT IWO JIMA

A brief front page article of the Middleboro Gazette of April 13, 1945 edition informed residents of the death of 19 year-old  United States Marine Corps Private First Class Charles W. Teel, Jr., on the island of Iwo Jima. He was Killed In Action, on February 24, 1945, while serving with the 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division.

 The short Gazette article stated, “Friends in the North Middleboro section of town were grieved to learn of the death on February 24 of Charles Teel at Iwo Jima on that date.” He managed to visit only one time with his parents in North Middleboro prior to being shipped overseas to the Pacific Theater in August. The paper of June 23, 1944 also ran a short report about the visit:

 “Mrs. Charles Teel of Plymouth street entertained over the week-end of her daughters, Misses Clara and Marion Teel of Springfield and her son Pvt Charles Teel, Jr., of the Marines.”

 Young Teel, who was born in Springfield, MA, on December 27, 1925, was among 652 Marines assigned to the 24th Regiment killed during the battle of Iwo Jima. His unit suffered large casualties as it was involved in the Iwo Jima D-Day invasion of that heavily fortified island on February 19, 1945.

 A front page story in the Springfield newspaper of March 22, 1945 informed those residents with this headline and photo of the Marine: “PFC Teel C.W. Teel Victim on Iwo.”

 While living on Essex Street in Springfield, he attended Chestnut Street Junior High School and had worked for a short time at the Springfield Armory prior to induction into the service

 Teel had lived with his parents on Plymouth Street in North Middleboro for about a year. He enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve on March 28, 1944 at Springfield, where he was immediately placed on active duty

 His parents, through an announcement in the Gazette in September 15, 1944 edition, placed their home on Rural Free Delivery 3 on Plymouth Street, North Middleboro for sale. An auction of their household goods was held that Saturday by Fish Auctioneer of Webster Street. Subsequently, Mr. Charles W. and Mrs. Helen Teel moved back to Springfield to a home on Osgood Street.

 PFC Charles W. Teel, Jr., was laid to rest in Springfield at Oak Grove Cemetery, Grave 241, Section M, Lot 2413.

 He is remembered here in Middleboro by his name engraved on the WW2 section of the Central Casualty stone in Middleboro’s Veterans Memorial Park. Mertie Romaine’s “History of the Town of Middleboro, Massachusetts 1905-1965” includes his name on the pages for World War 2.