In memory of Cecil Boswell, who passed away in February of 2017. This interview was done in January of 2017, 1 month before he passed. Meet Cecil Boswell. Cecil is 99 years young, and is a World War II Veteran. He was born in 1917 near Hurricane Shoals in Jackson County. When he was 8 his family moved to Gainesville Mill, where he attended Gainesville Mill School. He spent his youth riding bikes, going to movies, getting into fights and chasing girls. When he got old enough to work he walked to Talmo from Gainesville to pick cotton.  Eventually he was able to get a job at Gainesville Mill, where he worked until 1940.  After several tries, he was able to join the Army.
He served in the 22nd Infantry, 4th Division, and was part of the second wave of the D-Day invasion of Normandy. In 1944 his division helped in the liberation of Paris. He served as a cook, and suffered a severe injury when a gas mess kit washer blew up in his face. He returned home a Sargent after the war and married.  After the war he went to work at New Holland Mill and later Gainesville Mill.
Cecil lives by himself in Gainesville Mill Village in the house he has been in for most of his life. When asked where he moved from, he will point across the street at the house his family moved to when he was a boy. Cecil still likes to work every day, cutting his grass, and the grass of those who are less able bodied than he is. He drives his truck to the Big Bear Café, every day, where he eats, and socializes.
Q:  What inspired you to join the Army?
A:  “I was disappointed with my job at the mill. I had a line boss who didn’t think too much of me, and well I didn’t think too much of him either. He kept telling my Uncle, who was the main Boss that my lines were breaking, and I was having too much down time. I went up to the Courthouse and signed up. Took me three tries, but I got in the last try, and got shipped off to basic that afternoon!”
Q:  What Beachhead did you hit on D-Day?
A:  “Utah Beach.  I was there on D-Day in the second wave. I was over there in France till the end of the war.”
Q:  Have you ever been back to Europe?
A:  “No, I would’ve liked too, but I aint. I wouldn’t know the place now. I wouldn’t even know that girl I proposed to when we liberated Paris. I hope she’s not still waiting on me!”
Q:  What is your favorite restaurant in Hall County, and what do you love there?
A:  “Big Bear Café! It used to be a beer joint. I like the pancakes…and the girls!”
Q:  How long have you lived in Hall County?
A:  “91 years.”
Q:  Who is the most interesting person you have met in Hall County?
A:  “Ray Knickerbocker. He was a teacher at Gainesville Mill School. He was your friend. He’d get after you if you were cutting up, but he always had your back.”
Q:  If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be?
A:  “Washington DC to the Smithsonian. Never been there. Rode by it a few times but never had time to stop.”
Q:  What are some of your favorite memories of Gainesville/Hall County growing up?
A:  “One day, I was riding my bike and I saw the Iceman in his wagon ahead of me. We used to like to get the chips of ice off the blocks and eat them. I went racing up to catch him to get a chip. The ice man turned and saw me coming, and hollered “Woah” to his mule. Well that mule stopped but I didn’t, and I went sliding right up under that wagon!”
“After the tornado (1936), most of us boys had bicycles. We liked to line up and ride them around the square. There was this old boy, Gene Strickland, he could ride so fast the police would catch him for speeding. He was always running them cops around!”
“We would also go to the State Theater up on Washington Street to watch movies a lot. We’d get up in there, and the Riverside Boys would get up in there, and we’d always end up getting in a fight. They’d have to call the cops every day or so to break us up!”
Q:  What former local business makes you the most nostalgic about Hall County?
A:  “Well we pretty well stayed home. I did like going to the mill baseball games. We had some pretty good teams and we’d go to Habersham Co., Commerce, and all over watching those games. My Dad played ball for Gainesville Mill. I also liked the skating rink at the corner of Myrtle St. (MLK) and Main St. We used to go up there all the time.”
 
The Faces of Hall County is a project to showcase the amazing people that live or work in our community. If you would like to nominate an interesting person to be featured please email babernathy@gonorton.com.