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PRIVATE FIRST CLASS
CHARLES A. RUTECKI was born in Pennsylvania in 1915. His father, Joseph
Rutecki, had emigrated from Poland, and worked as riveter in a shipyard.
His mother, Pearl was from Massachusetts. The third child, he had two
older brothers, Edward and Theodore; brothers Martin, Wallace, Arthur and sisters Matilda
and Phyllis came after. By 1930 the family had moved to Coles Road, in
the Blenheim section of Gloucester Township NJ. His father was a well
driller at this point, and his two older brothers were working on farms.
Charles Rutecki had wed in November of 1940. He and wife Edith made
their home at 614 Berkeley Street in Camden NJ, where he worked, at the
New York Shipbuilding Corporation shipyard.
Private Rutecki was
inducted into the Army in June of 1942, and went overseas in October of
tht year. He saw action in North Africa,
and was wounded in his left shoulder on May 7, 1943. He returned to
active duty and was fatally injured when a stick of dynamite
exploded during a training exercise in North Africa on August 7, 1943.
He was 28 at the time of his death, which was reported in the September
11, 1943 edition of the Camden Courier-Post. He was survived by his
wife, mother, and siblings, of whom brothers Arthur and Wallace were
serving overseas in the Navy at that point in time. |
