Marnell Square

Richard L. Marnell, a native of Amsterdam who was born and raised in the South Side neighborhood, joined the Army for service in World War II and, after more than two years of fierce fighting in the European theater with General George Patton's elite uth Infantry Regiment, sth Infantry Division, known as the Red Devils, became the most decorated soldier in the city's history. He fought in five major campaigns, including Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe, and the Rhineland, was wounded three times, and received numerous medals, including the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism. After the war, he returned home to Amsterdam and purchased and operated a neighborhood tavern called Carl's, located three blocks south at the foot of a castle that then served as a National Guard Armory. Both the building that housed his tavern and the castle still stand. Marnell died in September 1970.

Amsterdam, New York · United States