A resident's reflections
on war

On this Veteran's Day we thank all who have served. With so many residents and employee veterans, the stories of service and sacrifice are numerous. RiverWoods resident Judd Alexander is on of the 75 RiverWoods resident writers featured in the book, "The War We Knew: RiverWoods Remembers World War II." Alexander shares his reflections of WWII in today's Exeter Newsletter.

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Exeter Newsletter / Seacoast Online
November 11, 2011

World War II Vet: 'Few of us left'

By Aaron Sanborn
EXETER — No matter how much time passes, veterans never forget the ones they serve with.

RiverWoods resident Judd Alexander still remembers fondly those he served with in World War II, even though he doesn't get to see them as much as he would like.

"There's very few of us left, but there are still some and they're friends for life," he said.

While Alexander is one of 75 RiverWoods residents who shared their World War II stories in the recently released book "The War We Knew," he recalled an unpublished story during a visit with the Exeter News-Letter this week.

In 1998, Alexander visited the World War II and Korean War Memorial at Dartmouth College and realized his former platoon mate in the 8th Armored Division, Staff Sgt. Charles Weller Jr., was not on the wall.

Weller was a 1938 graduate of Dartmouth College and was killed in action near the village of Linne in southern Holland.

Alexander led a campaign to get Weller's name on the memorial, and it was added in 2000.

"I was very pleased to see that happen," Alexander said.

He said Weller's name was originally omitted from the memorial because the school was unaware of his death, and the college worked well with him in getting the name added.

Weller's story sticks out to Alexander for multiple reasons. For one, he was the first man in Alexander's platoon to be killed in combat, and also because Weller essentially predicted his own death.

Alexander didn't know the story at the time, as his platoon was marching towards the German border and prepared to attack strong defenses near the border. Weller had sought out a fellow sergeant in the platoon and gave him some personal items — a letter to his mother — because he was convinced he wouldn't survive the next day's battle.

"The other sergeant tried aggressively and repeatedly to talk him out of his fear, but Weller persisted, 'You will make it through tomorrow ... I will not,'" Alexander said.

On Feb. 27, 1945, Alexander and his platoon came under heavy fire and were pinned down in one area, at which point Weller and another soldier began their own advance, firing their weapons along the way, and during the course of the advance Weller was shot in the head and died instantly, according to Alexander.
Alexander learned of Weller's story from another sergeant in his platoon during a reunion in the late 1990s. Alexander captured Weller's story in an essay, which he submitted to Dartmouth College during his effort to get Weller's name added to the wall.

"Weller was one of nine members of our small unit to die that day in the field at Linne and the woods beyond," Alexander said. "Most soldiers who perish in battle did not expect to die. Sgt. Weller expected his death, yet he had the courage to fulfill his duty and support his fellow soldiers in spite of his terrible premonition."

Alexander was drafted into the military in 1943 and served 2½ years in the U.S. Army. After his time in the military, he enjoyed a successful career in "corporate America."

Alexander now likes to spend his spare time writing and has an extensive World War II book collection.

"A lot of us who served were proud to do it and still feel that way today," he said.

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