HUDSON — The American flag at the Hudson Police Station was lowered to half staff to honor a former Hudson police officer who died last week, at the age of 100, said Hudson Police Chief L. Edward Moore.
Joseph Matthew Colwell died at his home in Houston, Texas, on March 14, according to family members.
Colwell was born Aug. 7, 1921. He served as a Hudson police officer in the late 1940s after returning from fighting in World War II, Moore said.
He was a corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps serving in World War II from 1942-1946.
Colwell was ordered to Oahu, Hawaii, and upon arrival was sent to Midway Island. He was assigned to a job in the truck company where he moved ordnance and personnel to the planes and he also volunteered to fly dawn-to-dusk patrol where he would go out and look for Japanese ships coming into Midway.
When the war ended, Colwell was ordered to Okinawa, Kadena Air Field, and was sent back to the states in Treasure Island, California. In March of 1946 he was discharged in Bainbridge, Maryland.
After returning to Hudson, Colwell served with the Hudson police force and Hudson Volunteer Fire Department.
Colwell’s brother, Joe, also served with Hudson police. He is 100 years old and living at the Hudson Fireman’s Home, Moore said.
Colwell later moved to Texas and began working at the Houston Post Office as a mail carrier. He later was promoted to Superintendent of Route Inspectors. Colwell also served as tax assessor for Harris County, Texas, and Comal County, Texas, according to family members.
In August of 2020, Colwell’s neighborhood in Texas honored him with a surprise drive-by parade to mark his 99th birthday. The parade lasted more than 30 minutes.
At the event, Colwell was dubbed the oldest living U.S. Marine in Texas.
The flag at the Hudson police station will remain at half staff until after Colwell’s funeral Thursday.
A funeral mass will be celebrated Thursday at 11:30 a.m. at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, 3600 Brinkman St., Houston. Burial services will follow at 1 p.m. at Houston National Cemetery, 10410 Veterans Memorial Drive, Houston.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to Wounded Warrior Project, 7020 A.C. Skinner Parkway, Suite 100, Jacksonville, Fla. 32256, or Tunnel to Towers Foundation, 2361 Hylan Boulevard, Staten Island, NY 10306.
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