Correspondent photos / Sean Barron Arthur Newell, a U.S. Army World War II veteran, holds a glass frame containing his service medals and commendations, as his wife, Marcia Newell, holds one of several proclamations he received.

STRUTHERS –= John Newell recalled a time when his parents’ truck broke down on a camping trip and his father, Arthur M. Newell, used equal parts creativity and improvisation to fix a dead generator.

The unconventional approach Arthur Newell took was to cut small chunks from his wife’s toothbrush handle, then reconfigure the pieces to allow them to make contact with the machine’s armature, which somehow brought the generator back to life.

“He was independent and resourceful. He said, ‘You need a new toothbrush,'” John Newell of Keystone Heights, Florida, said with a chuckle.

In addition to being independent, resourceful and having a knack to think outside of the box in a pinch, Arthur Newell also had considerably more than a pinch of patriotism. When he was 18, Newell was drafted into the U.S. Army and served in World War II with the 3rd Army, 65th Infantry Division, 200th Infantry Regiment, B Company.

Much more recently, Newell was the guest of honor for his 100th birthday celebration Saturday afternoon in Yellow Creek Park off state Route 616. Newell, a lifelong Struthers resident, officially became a centenarian Nov. 11, perhaps a most befitting day because it was Veterans Day.

An estimated 60 family members, relatives and friends from all over the country gathered in the social hall for the special occasion. Specifically, some came from as far away as San Diego, as well as Oklahoma and Georgia.

“He was the original MacGyver,” John Newell said about his father’s uncanny ability to make repairs with whatever was at hand.

For his part, John Newell served 21 years in the U.S. Navy after having enlisted at age 17. He also fought in Operation Desert Storm.

Shortly after graduating from high school and being drafted, Arthur Newell reported to Camp Shelby near Hattiesburg, Mississippi, for basic training before receiving additional training. He saw about 60 days of combat, after which he was given a Bronze Star, then the French Foreign Legion Award for his assistance in liberating that country and being part of an occupying force that caused the German army to retreat, Newell’s son, Tim Newell of Charlotte, North Carolina, said.

In addition, Arthur Newell helped liberate two concentration camps, one of which was a satellite camp affiliated with Auschwitz, Tim Newell said.

Also, the elder Newell drove a supply truck during his two years overseas, his son said.

On Oct. 19, 2021, then-U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan honored Newell for having received the French Legion d’honneur, France’s highest and most prestigious national military and civil order of merit. Pfc. Newell, along with Cpl. Norvin D. McClure of Fort Wayne, Indiana, were the recipients during a ceremony at Camp Shelby.

“There is no doubt that Mr. Newell is a true American hero, emblematic of the service that characterizes the veterans of Ohio’s 13th congressional district, the state of Ohio and the United States of America,” Ryan said in his tribute, according to the Congressional Record.

“After arriving in Metz, France, our regiment joined others from (Gen. George) Patton’s 3rd Army in an attempt to breach the Siegfried Line (a German defensive line built in the late 1930s). Just to the east of Metz, we approached our first enemy pillbox. It appeared to be out of action until we were within about 100 feet of it. At that moment, the Germans opened fire,” Newell recalled years later. “A few of our men got hit and a few more stepped on mines or set off booby traps. We took cover. Our heavy-weapons platoon came up to the front and with their machine guns and bazookas, they took direct aim at the bunkers’ slotted openings and opened fire. As the battle progressed, my buddies and I got close enough to lob grenades towards the fortification. The enemy within the pillbox fell silent.”

Newell, whose infantry travels also took him through Austria and Germany, returned home in 1946, then married his wife, Marcia Newell, on Aug. 8, 1952, before they raised seven children in a family that now is made up of 22 grandchildren, 33 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren. The Newells have lived in their 1,200-square-foot Audrey Lane home all 73 years of their marriage.

After readjusting to civilian life, Newell launched a 40-year career in the steel industry before retiring from Sharon Steel Corp. in 1991. He also worked for the former Suburban Aluminum Co. installing storm doors, windows and porch enclosures.

For years, Newell didn’t speak about his combat experiences, but now looks back at it fondly. He has attended several WWII reunions and has shared his story with young audiences, including three of Tim Newell’s children’s middle schools, the younger Newell said.

In March, Arthur Newell was among the many veterans who attended the 11th annual Veterans of the Valley luncheon that the Mahoning County Board of Developmental Disabilities hosted. The occasion allowed those who served the nation to meet and interact with dozens of children and adults with special needs.

He may have aged a bit since his military days, but don’t assume that means the 100-year-old has slowed down.

“My dad is full of life; he’s a cut-up. My mother often said she didn’t raise seven kids, she raised eight,” Tim Newell said, adding that the family patriarch also took his wife and children on many trips, including to Alaska. “He’s stayed active, active, active. There was no quit in that man.”

“It’s been a good 73 years. We never had an argument or a fight,” Marcia Newell, 91, said, lamenting that many who fought in the war as part of the “Greatest Generation” never came home, but “blessed he came through it.”

Also at Saturday’s festive gathering was a table on which were a black-and-white photograph of Newell and fellow Company B members, which was taken in November 1944; several vials of sand, one of which was from Normandy Beach in France, where Newell had landed; a display of his service medals and honors; and a few proclamations, including one from Struthers Mayor Catherine Cercone Miller.

For many, Newell symbolizes true patriotism, courage and a willingness to reach beyond himself, but for his son, such an assessment also carries a more personal tone.

“He was a war hero, but he was always our hero,” Tim Newell said.