1st Lt. Charles August Vollmer was born in Chicago, Illinois, on October 13, 1919, to Charles J. Vollmer and Clara Sandkohl-Vollmer and had two sisters and two brothers. His family resided at 1211 South 4th Avenue, Maywood, Illinois, and graduated from Emerson School and Proviso Township High School in 1937. He then attended the University of Illinois in Urbana/Champaign and earned a degree in commerce and business in 1943. While he was a student at the U. of I., he registered with Selective Service, on October 16, 1940, and named his father as his contact person. He also joined the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps at the university training in field artillery. At some point, he married, Josephine, and his wife resided at 1501 South 7th Avenue, Maywood.
Charles was commissioned a second lieutenant in the US Army on February 10, 1943, and issued the serial number O 515 945. In no particular order, he trained at Fort Still, Oklahoma, Fort Meade, Florida, and Camp McCain, Mississippi. He was assigned as a replacement to Battery B, 42nd Field Artillery Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, as a forward observer, and joined his unit in England where it was preparing for the D-Day Invasion. When the invasion came, the 4th landed on Utah Beach on June 6, 1944.
What is known is that on June 24, 1944, while doing his job as a forward observer, he received gun shot wounds to his back. He was taken to a field hospital and died from his wounds on the 25th. He was buried, on the 25th, in the US Military Cemetery #2, Sainte Mere Eglise, France, on Plot D, Row 5, Grave 83. His grave was marked with a wooden cross with one of his government issued identification tags attached to it. His other identification tag was buried with him in his grave. It is not known when his wife was notified of his death, but a memorial service was held for him on October 15, 1944.
On August 6, 1946, his wife was sent a letter from the Office of the Quartermaster General, Washington DC, telling her where Charles was buried and the location of his grave in the cemetery. She was also informed that this was a temporary cemetery and she would receive additional information for his final burial in another letter. The next letter was sent to her on September 22, 1947, and provided her with information on her options for Charles’ final burial, She was asked to complete an enclosed form indicating where she wanted him buried. The form was received by the OQMG, on October 9, 1947, indicating that she had remarried and providing contact information for Charles’ mother. His mother was sent the same forms, on February 9, 1948, which were completed and received by the OQMG on February 25, 1948. On the form, his mother indicated she wanted Charles buried in Illinois.
Charles was exhumed from the USMC #2, Ste Mere Eglise and by truck were taken to the USMC Ste Laurent, France, on April 29, 1948, where his remains were casketed. From there, his casket was taken to the Port Unit, Cherbourg, France, and remained in Cherbourg until April 4, 1949, when the casket was placed on the USAT Haiti Victory which sailed the same day. The ship arrived in the New York Port of Entry on May 4th and, by train, on the 6th, with a military escort, his casket was sent to the Quartermaster Corps’ Distribution Center #8, Chicago, arriving on the 9th.
On June 24, 1949, his casket was sent on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad’s train #9 to the Rock Island National Cemetery, Rock Island, Illinois. 1st Lt. Charles A. Vollmer was buried in the cemetery in Section E, Site 359, the same day.
