Charles A. Heath, Jr. was born on October 5, 1924 in Hoquiam, Grays Harbor County, Washington to Charles Alvah Heath, Sr. and Rosella Heath, nee Smiley. Charles had one younger brother, Robert Root Heath. In 1930, the family lived in Hoquiam, where Charles, Sr. was a boom man in a lumber mill. Charles’ father later became Chief of the Port Orchard Police Department in Kitsap County, Washington. Charles, Jr. attended South Kitsap High School in Port Orchard.

Charles Heath, Jr. enlisted in the United States Army on September 1, 1942 in Tacoma, Washington. He stated his year of birth was 1923 (it was 1924 according to his birth record). He was single, without dependents, and had completed three years of high school. He received his basic training in a tank division at Fort Knox, Kentucky.

Private Charles Heath served in the 2635th Quartermaster Company. He went overseas in January 1943 and fought in the North African Campaign and the Allied Invasion of Sicily. In September 1943, the American Army invaded mainland Italy at Salerno. By early October 1943, the whole of southern Italy was in Allied hands, and the Allied armies faced the Volturno Line, the first of a series of Germany’s defensive strong points running across Italy. By November, the Allies had pushed the German army further north to the enemy’s Bernhardt Line.

Charles A. Heath, Jr. was killed in action on November 16, 1943 in Italy. According to his hospital record, the cause of his death was accidental drowning. He is buried in the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial, Nettuno, Lazio, Italy (Plot F, Row 12, Grave 10). He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project

(see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to

write the stories of all 421,000+ of the US WWII fallen saved on Together We

Served and Fold3.

Can you help write these stories? These stories will be accessible via smartphone app at any war memorial or cemetery.

If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute to it, please contact me at clock902@aol.com.

SBTSProject/Washington/Kitsap County

Sources:

Findagrave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56309888/charles-heath

WWII Army Enlistment Records, https://www.fold3.com/record/703510434/heath-charles-us-wwii-hospital-admission-card-files-1942-1954

WWII Army and Army Air Force Casualty List, https://www.fold3.com/image/310763535?rec=299424276

American Battle Monuments Commission, https://www.fold3.com/record/529928929/charles-heath-american-battle-monuments-commission

Bremerton Daily News Searchlight, 17 Dec 1943, Fri · Page 1, https://www.newspapers.com/image/880948581?utm_source=fold3.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Fold3

Bremerton Daily News Searchlight, 28 Aug 1943, Sat · Page 3, https://www.newspapers.com/image/880954179?utm_source=fold3.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Fold3

Bremerton Daily News Searchlight, 11 Dec 1943, Sat · Page 1, https://www.newspapers.com/image/880947601?utm_source=fold3.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Fold3

Kitsap Sun, 11 Dec 1943, Sat · Page 1, https://www.newspapers.com/image/880300955?utm_source=fold3.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Fold3

Kitsap Sun, 27 Jan 1944, Thu · Page 1, https://www.newspapers.com/image/880253971?utm_source=fold3.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Fold3

Kitsap Sun, 30 Sep 1971, Thu · Page 8, https://www.newspapers.com/image/874503412?utm_source=fold3.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Fold3

Washington, County Birth Registers, 1873-1965, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:DDVV-5WMM

1930 United States Federal Census. https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/111709877:6224