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THOMAS CHAREK-Family
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CHAREK, HAROLD, PFC.
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Contact Info
Home Town STRONGSVILLE
Last Address 16791 BENNETT ROAD NORTH ROYALTON, OH 44133
Date of Passing Jun 20, 2006
Location of Interment Crown Hill Cemetery - Twinburg, Ohio
Harold Charek was born May 16, 1918 in what is now called the Slavic Village area of Cleveland, Ohio.
His Father was Rudy and his Mother was Charlotte. Rudy was of Bohemian descent as his Father came to this country from Prague (Praha). Charlotte was from the Baldwin family which is of English descent.
Harold had an older brother named Arthur, now deceased, who like Harold served in WWII. Arthur was seriously wounded 8 November 1942 during Operation Torch in Northern Africa and then again at Anzio. Subsequently he received two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star for Valor.
Harold also had two sisters. Dorothy Sokol and Emily Willson, both are deceased. Finally, Harold had a younger brother, Edgar. Edgar moved to Phoenix Arizona after the war and is now deceased.
Harold attended Trinity Baptist Church on Garfield Boulevard as a child and met his future wife Jeanne Margaret Bowen at a church activity.
Harold graduated from South High School in Cleveland in June 1938. After graduating Harold experimented with various occupations that interested him. Among these he tried his hand as a bricklayer and found his entry into the Union blocked because his ethnic heritage was not right. Harold also worked for a time in a paint manufacturing plant on Union Avenue until settling on work at Alcoa. Harold also successfully ran for public office, being elected Constable in Newburgh Township in 1942.
In November 1942 Harold received the call to serve his Country. Harold reported for active duty and was inducted into the Army on 7 January 1943. In April 1943 Harold qualified as a Marksman on the 1903 Springfield and came within a hair of being appointed as a sniper. The news of his brother's severe injuries in Operation Torch altered Harold's final assignments somewhat.
After Basic Training at Camp Sutton, NC Harold returned home on a 3 day pass and married Jeanne at a private ceremony in the Pastor's residence on June 28, 1943.
Harold left for England on the troop ship Mauretania on 11 September 1943. The destination was Plymouth England. Harold endured the nightly bombing raids as preparations were made for the Normandy Invasion. Harold was a member of the 1st Army, 29th Division, 224th Quartermaster Company charged with logistics, material and equipment supply as well as salvage and repair. Harold's Division went ashore on D-Day at Omaha Beach, and subsequently fought in the Ardennes, Battle of the Bulge, Rhineland and Central Germany.
In November 1944 Harold was stationed in Verviers Belgium where he befriended several orphan children. Harold kept a daily journal and it records his experiences and movements throughout that time. In August of 1945 the 29th Division ended operations in Berlin. In October of 1945 Harold was assigned to the 208th Engineering Command Battalion, Company C.
In December of 1945 with hostilities ended, Harold was among the fortunate few to return home unwounded. Harold received the Good Conduct Medal with two knots, a Meritorious Unit Award, the European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 5 Bronze Stars, the American Campaign Medal, the Army of the Occupation Medal and the WWII Victory Medal and of course the Honorable Discharge, "Ruptured Duck".
Harold then tried his hand as an entrepreneur by operating a gas station in Garfield Heights. Shortly, Harold realized that he appreciated the "uniform" and structure of the military and secured a position with the US Postal Service. With a uniform and structured environment in hand Harold went on to faithfully serve the US Postal Service for 35 years until he retired in 1983. Harold had an extremely strong work ethic and always had at least one part time job in addition to full time employment.
Harold and Jeanne had two sons; Thomas, born in 1952 and Terry, born in 1955. Harold raised his sons in the Church and was active with them first in the Cub Scouts and then in the Boy Scouts. Harold served as a Troop Leader and traveled on many wilderness campouts and canoe trips to northern Ontario. His children grew to be respected professionals in their fields and their success is a tribute to his early and continued involvement in their development and the example he set for them.
Harold was actively involved in the South High School Alumni Association and held various leadership positions including Trustee until the time of his passing. Harold actively participated in their Alumni Scholarship Program and was instrumental in assisting deserving students in furthering their college education.
Throughout the fifties and into the seventies Harold was extremely active in the VFW, and held various leadership positions at Independence Post 3483. Harold served on the VFW Color Guard at the dedication of the Brecksville VA Medical Center and earlier traveled with the VFW for the dedication of the St. Lawrence Seaway in June 1959. In 1976 after Harold moved to Strongsville Ohio, he joined Strongsville Post 3345 and remained a member for life.
Harold and Jeanne enjoyed their home in Strongsville with its 2 acres and extensive garden. During the early 80's they were also active in the Strongsville Garden Club, a bowling league and the Parma South Presbyterian Church. In 1983 Harold retired from the US Postal Service and set out to enjoy his undivided time with Jeanne.
When he moved to Strongsville, Harold also made room in the home for his Mother in Law, Ida Bowen. Ida had many medical issues and Harold compassionately tended to her needs until she passed in 1985. Life then presented another challenge as Jeanne passed away of Cancer in 1986 after a valiant battle against the disease. The loss of his beloved wife was a tremendous blow and Harold grieved deeply. Harold never remarried, but became close with his beloved friend Josephine (Josie) Latarski. Harold kept close company with Josie until his passing.
In 1995 Harold was diagnosed with Lung Cancer and underwent surgery to remove the entire left lung, followed by chemo and radiation therapies. Harold was given a five year life expectancy by his Doctors. Obviously the record of Harold's life indicates he did much better than that. In 2002, Harold became gravely ill with the Flu and spent 10 days in the ICU. At that point he accepted the standing invitation to simplify his life and moved in with his oldest Son in North Royalton. The following four years were marked by good health, good friends, travel and a high quality of life, surrounded by those who loved him the most. Sadly, in February of 2006, Harold was diagnosed with Cholangiocarcinoma, a serious form of Cancer without a high chance of a cure.
Harold was truly an exceptional man, an outstanding Father, Husband and a compassionate Leader.
There is a huge void where this larger than life hero once stood.
WWII - European Theater of Operations/Ardennes Alsace Campaign (1944-45)/Battle of the Bulge
From Month/Year
December / 1944
To Month/Year
January / 1945
Description The Battle of the Bulge (16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945) was a major German offensive campaign launched through the densely forested Ardennes region of Wallonia in Belgium, France and Luxembourg on the Western Front toward the end of World War II in Europe. Hitler planned the offensive with the primary goal to recapture the important harbour of Antwerp. The surprise attack caught the Allied forces completely off guard. United States forces bore the brunt of the attack and incurred the highest casualties for any operation during the war. The battle also severely depleted Germany's war-making resources.
The battle was known by different names. The Germans referred to it as Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein ("Operation Watch on the Rhine"), while the French named it the Bataille des Ardennes ("Battle of the Ardennes"). The Allies called it the Ardennes Counteroffensive. The phrase "Battle of the Bulge" was coined by contemporary press to describe the way the Allied front line bulged inward on wartime news maps and became the best known name for the battle.
The German offensive was supported by several subordinate operations known as Unternehmen Bodenplatte, Greif, and Währung. As well as stopping Allied transport over the channel to the harbor of Antwerp, Germany also hoped these operations would split the British and American Allied line in half, and then proceed to encircle and destroy four Allied armies, forcing the Western Allies to negotiate a peace treaty in the Axis Powers' favor. Once that was accomplished, Hitler could fully concentrate on the eastern theatre of war.
The offensive was planned by the German forces with the utmost secrecy, minimizing radio traffic and moving troops and equipment under cover of darkness. Despite their efforts to keep it secret, the Third U.S. Army's intelligence staff predicted a major German offensive, and Ultra indicated that a "substantial and offensive" operation was expected or "in the wind", although a precise date or point of attack could not be given. Aircraft movement from the Russian Front and transport of forces by rail, both to the Ardennes, was noticed but not acted upon, according to a report later written by Peter Calvocoressi and F. L. Lucas at the codebreaking centre Bletchley Park.
Near-complete surprise was achieved by a combination of Allied overconfidence, preoccupation with Allied offensive plans, and poor aerial reconnaissance. The Germans attacked a weakly defended section of the Allied line, taking advantage of heavily overcast weather conditions, which grounded the Allies' overwhelmingly superior air forces. Fierce resistance on the northern shoulder of the offensive around Elsenborn Ridge and in the south around Bastogne blocked German access to key roads to the northwest and west that they counted on for success; columns that were supposed to advance along parallel routes found themselves on the same roads. This and terrain that favored the defenders threw the German advance behind schedule and allowed the Allies to reinforce the thinly placed troops. Improved weather conditions permitted air attacks on German forces and supply lines, which sealed the failure of the offensive. In the wake of the defeat, many experienced German units were left severely depleted of men and equipment, as survivors retreated to the defenses of the Siegfried Line.
About 610,000 American forces were involved in the battle,[2] and 89,000 were casualties, including 19,000 killed. It was the largest and bloodiest battle fought by the United States in World War II.
