By Mark Maginn

Some people are known for their hard work, dedication, intelligence, or personality’s largeness. Bill Caldwell is known for all of these, particularly his prominent, friendly personality. Once you’ve met Bill, you’ll remember him.

Before a busy life with the American Red Cross after his retirement from Trans World Airlines, Bill spent a career getting ready for disaster relief and government relations in his varied career.

While with the Red Cross, Bill has worked extensively in External Relations, particularly with Community Organizations Assisting in Disasters, or COAD, and a Red Cross government operations liaison.

Bill, who lives near St. Joseph, Missouri, also monitors and participates in county Long Term Recovery Committees that coordinate disaster services in emergencies. Bill hopes to see these committees operational in every county in Missouri.

He has spent the better part of his adult life planning for and responding to disasters. While at TWA, Bill was a trained member of the airline’s Trauma Response Team.

He was one of the responders when TWA Flight 800 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off Long Island, New York on July 17, 1996, killing all 230 passengers and crew on board.

The New York City Council awarded him and his team of responders commendations for their work in the wake of the crash.

Additionally, Bill was a member of the TWA Local Emergency Planning Committee. It wasn’t just these assignments that has made him such a valued Red Cross volunteer; his experiences put him in touch with a wide variety of people in a large number of situations.

Much of Bill’s experience came from his work with NASA at Cape Canaveral, Florida. He worked in the Mail Room in Cocoa Beach, delivering mail to NASA offices. While doing this work, Bill also drove NASA authorities and dignitaries from the airport to NASA. One of his favorite encounters was with the astronaut and later politician, John Glenn, with whom he stayed in touch over the years.

In Florida, Bill became fishing buddies with one of baseball’s greatest hitters, Ted Williams, “The Thumper.”

During this time, Bill functioned as a crew chief assisting planes on the ground, overseeing the distribution of parts for the planes while also coordinating with other crew chiefs.

For a time with TWA, Bill worked in coordinating freight traffic. It is noticeable that Bill has been practicing getting along with various people and situations for a long time before arriving at Red Cross.

As a union steward at TWA, Bill worked with Special Health Services that led him to the Trauma Services Team established by owner Carl Ichan. He later became a team leader and that work provided Bill with experience working in trauma situations and experience in supervising and organizing services.

In one of his more exciting experiences, Bill accompanied the Apollo 1 capsule back to its permanent location. On Jan. 27, 1967, tragedy struck Apollo 1 when a cabin fire occurred during a launch rehearsal, killing the three astronauts aboard – Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee. 

Bill had a keen eye for the strengths and weaknesses of that capsule, and in line with this forthright personality, shared his opinions of Apollo 1. His frankness is what not only makes his character compelling, it also builds trust, knowing you aren’t getting a highly varnished idea designed to mislead.

In the early 90s, Bill took training in trauma response as well as Critical Incident Stress Training.

Another aspect of Bill’s life experience is his Red Cross work with faith-based groups and governmental operations in planning for and responding to all matters of disasters. In this, he also interacts as a liaison with governments, government officials, and politicians.

With his broad service experience to others, Bill is most proud of his wife and their long marriage.

Bill’s experiences with disasters are deep, comprehensive, and varied. He has seen disasters at every level of response, organization, and planning.

His life of service to others helped develop Bill’s remarkable capacity for empathy, calm, and effectiveness. It’s made him a Red Cross volunteer par excellence and someone to get to know.