Staff Sgt. Day Campbell, 29, a native of the Fountain Green neighborhood, a radio instructor at Scott Field, Belleville, died in the St. Mary's hospital in East St. Louis, Thursday night, two hours after his skull was fractured and crushed when a truck tire blew out, throwing the rim against his head.

Staff Sgt. Day Campbell, 29, of Macomb, a radio instructor at Scott Field, Belleville, Ill., died at 9:00 o'clock Wednesday at the St. Mary's hospital in East St. Louis after his skull was crushed two hours earlier when a truck tire blew out, throwing the rim against his head.

Campbell operated a battery and radio repair service at Jackson St., Macomb, and was also formerly in the taxi cab business there before he entered the armed service about three years ago. He has been stationed at Scott field since that time.  He had been living in a trailer at nearby Collinsville with his wife and his 11-year-old stepdaughter, Coralie.  His wife was the former Ruby Smith of Macomb, and has been working as a beauty operator at Collinsville.

The accident happened at a Collinsville gasoline service station, operated by Joe Green, and while Campbell was off duty from Scott field.  Campbell had purchased a property in Collinsvile and in spare times recently the family was moving to the property.

Last evening he borrowed a truck from a friend, Fred Smith, and before starting to load it he drove to the filling station to get gas, oil and air.  The tires had been filled with air and Campbell was testing them with an air gauge.  He found one of them had 110 pounds of air and stooped down to release some of the air just as the tire blew out.  It blew the auxiliary steel rim directly against his forehead, crushing his skull.  He was rushed to the East St. Louis hospital, where he died in a short time.

In addition to his wife and step-daughter, he leaves is [sic] father, Chas. Campbell, and stepmother, who live at Colchester, and a sister, Alta Frances of Colchester.  The father left for East St. Louis last night as soon as he heard of the accident.

Funeral services for Staff Sgt. Campbell were conducted at Majorville church at 1:30 o'clock Sunday afternoon.  Rev. Marian Tharp, Macomb Baptist church minister, officated.  Burial was at the Majorville cemetery.  A Camp Ellis chaplain and soldiers conducted a military service at the cemetery.

JOETTA....Friends and relatives here were greatly shocked and deeply grieved to learn last Wednesday that Staff Sergeant Day Campbell of Scott Field near St.Louis passed away that morning following an accident of the previous evening.  Day, who was the only son of Charles and the late Mabel (Day) Campbell, is survived by his wife and 11 year old step-daughter to whom he was deeply devoted, his father, one sister, Mrs. Alta Frances Wood, several uncles and aunts and many cousins, as well as a large circle of friends, all of whom are greatly saddened at his early and untimely passing.  Of the uncles and aunts, special mention should be made of his mother's sister, Mrs. Rubie Hobart, who was always interested in and devoted to him, particularly after his mother's death a number of years ago.  To all these who especially mourn at this time, we extend heartfelt sympathy.  A military funeral with a delegation of soldiers and a chaplain from Camp Ellis assisting in the service, was held Sunday afternoon at Majorville church with burial in the churchyard there, by the side of his mother.  After spending his boyhood in the Majorville community and attended school here at Fountain Green, Day moved with his parents to Macomb, where he completed his education, after which he operated a battery and radio repair shop there for a time. Some time before the outbreak of the war he enlisted in the army and was sent to Scott Field, where he became an instructor in radio.  Later he was advanced to the position of supervisor of the other instructors, because of his proficiency along this line.  He was well liked by all of his buddies and superior officers, the commanding officer making the assertion since his death, that his place would be hard to fill.  While his death did not occur on the battlefield or while in the line of active military service, yet he did his part well and no doubt would gladly have gone overseas had his services not been more urgently needed here, so these lines from Sir Walter Scott seem appropriate for his as a requiem: "Soldier rest, thy warfare o'er."