Capshaw, William C. (Cody), 1923-2010
Biography
William "Bill" Cody Capshaw (February 15, 1923 – December 1, 2010) was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and grew up in Shawnee, Oklahoma, during the Dust Bowl era. Capshaw enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on April 3, 1940, in San Diego, California, and was assigned to the Marine Detachment aboard the USS Nevada (BB-36), where he survived the attack on Pearl Harbor. After Pearl Harbor, he trained at the Marine Corps Institute, specializing in chemical warfare.
Capshaw later left the ship's detachment and was reassigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 22nd Marines (Reinforced), V Amphibious Corps, Fleet Marine Force, a unit formed in June 1942 and attached to Corps Tactical Group 1. He trained in American Samoa and on Wallis Island before the unit's participation in the Marshall Islands campaign, during which he lost his right eye in the Battle of Eniwetok on February 22, 1944, and was awarded the Purple Heart for wounds sustained in action. Capshaw was discharged from the Marine Corps in November 1944. Following the war, Capshaw married Vivian Marie White and attended East Central State College, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. He later worked for the Federal Home Loan Bank Board, serving as an Examiner and Supervisor.
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
William C. Capshaw Papers
The William C. Capshaw Papers document the military service of William Cody Capshaw, a Marine Corps veteran from Oklahoma. He survived the attack on Pearl Harbor aboard the USS Nevada (BB-36) and was wounded at the Battle of Eniwetok. Materials include correspondence, photographs, notebooks, news clippings, and military and Veterans’ Administration records.