PFC Charles William Zachrich
In the 1940 census, he was living with his parents and was a farm laborer, working on the family farm. On September 28, 1940, he married Frances Traxler of Defiance, daughter of Frank and Ina (Crist) Traxler. They were both 18.
The couple moved to Lenawee County, Michigan, where Charles took a job at M & S Manufacturing.
On his draft card, he named his only brother, LaVern Zachrich, as next of kin. With brown hair and eyes, Charles was 6'1" and 142 pounds.
In the meantime, Charles became a father with daughter, Dianna, born March 25, 1943, in Lenawee County, Michigan. A little more than a year later, Frances filed for divorce on May 10, 1944, claiming extreme and repeated cruelty. Charles enlisted in the Army in Adrian, Michigan, on June 20, 1944.
The divorce was not final until July 17, 1944, and in that time, Charles was busy in training at Camp Blanding, Florida. By November 23, 1944, he was traveling overseas as a part of Company E, 223rd Infantry Training Brigade (ITB), 68th regiment (sharpshooter), Seventh Army. At some point overseas, Charles was attached as a medic to Co. C, 6th Battalion, a replacement regiment that was a medical corps, attached to an infantry division in the Third Army.
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| 359th Medical Corps Detachment |
He was in Belgium for a while where he was reported missing on January 15, 1945, for less than a week, but then he rejoined his unit on January 21, 1945. He was listed as killed in action on February 20, 1945, near Oder, Uttfeld, Germany. The Oder was a river in Germany at which the Germans launched an offensive. No detailed information could be located on PFC Zachrich's death.
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| Crescent-News, 07 March 1945, p. 1 |
Charles was originally buried in the U.S. Military Cemetery in Hamm, Luxenbourg, Plot K, Row 5, Grave 102.
His body was returned from overseas and reinterred in St. Stephen's Cemetery, Highland Township. The Crescent-News reported on July 10, 1948, on page 1:
"Chas. Zachrich Body Returned From Overseas
Body of Pfc Charles W. Zachrich of Defiance who lost his life while in Germany, Feb. 20, 1945, while with the 359th Infantry of the Third Army has been returned to the United States on its way to its final resting place at Defiance, the Department of the Army announced today.
Pfc Zachrich was the son of Mr. and Mrs Charles W. Zachrich, 500 Tiedeman St. He was inducted June 20, 1944, trained at Camp Blanding, Fla., and was overseas six weeks before he was killed. He was 24 years old...
The body was returned on the Army transport, Oglethorpe Victory, carrying remains of 4,383 Americans who lost their lives during World War II. All had been interred originally in temporary military cemeteries in France and Belgium. Besides Pfc Zachrich, the 244 Ohioans on this transport included Pvt. Howard R. Day, Army, returned on request of Lucille B. Day of Edgerton as next of kin."
Note: By this time, his sister, Fae, had married Roger Lang.
In an interesting sidenote, an article appeared posted from Defiance in the Marysville Tribune on July 17, 1948 on page 1:
"Defiance,O. July 17 - To Open Casket.
Mrs. Layla Zachrich, Defiance yesterday, obtained Common Pleas Court permission to open the casket of her son, Pfc Charles W. Zachrich, who was reported killed in Germany in 1945. She told the court she doubts her son is dead because she saw a newspaper picture of him among a group of soldiers, disembarking in New York. The casket is to arrive here soon."
However, when the time for the funeral came on August 2, 1948, the Crescent News posted in two separate articles:
"Private funeral, 10:30 a.m., Mansfield Funeral Home. Burial at St. Stephen's Church.
Members of the family indicated they might not use a recent court order permitting opening the coffin for identification.
Pallbearers were Max Sayre, Alton McGehee, David Steinberger, Cletus Baker and Robert and James Ort."
"In Memoriam
In loving memory of our dear son and brother, Pfc Charles Zachrich, who was reported killed in Germany, February 20th, 1945
The silent night is lonely and
There is no golden dawn
Because I must remember, son
That you are really done.
I must remember in my heart
The happiness we knew,
And that my only world was one
In which I lived with you
There is no breath of fragrance in
The flowers that I press
And if I call your name I hear
The sounds of emptiness
I roam the house from room to room,
I gaze beyond the sea
But there is nothing I can do
To bring you back to me
I have to tell myself again
That you are really gone.
And I can only ask the Lord
For strength to carry on.
But you're not alone in that grave o'er the sea,
For with you, there is a part of me.
Sadly missed by father and mother, brothers and sisters, Mr and Mrs. Charles Zachrich, LaVern Zachrich, Velma Bunke, Lillian Colwell, and Fae Lang
Crescent - News 10 Feb 1948
Rhonda Casler, Researcher
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