Charles Henry Young, Jr.

Charles was born on August 25, 1900 in Philadelphia, the son of Charles and Fannie Young. That means, because of his age, he was required to register for the draft, not only in the first world war but also the second.

That first registration took place on September 12, 1918. He was living with his parents at 1544 South Newkirk in the Grays Ferry neighborhood and worked at the Tioga Steel & Iron Company as a chauffeur. Fortunately, hostilities ceased two months later so his service wasn’t required.

Many details of his life between the two draft cards are missing. What is known is he was apparently on his own after the war because he wasn’t on his family’s census listings after 1910. Charles had a younger sister and a step-brother, since both of his parents were previously married. And he shared the family’s grief when his mother died in 1939.

By the time he again registered for the draft he was living at 633 Elm Street in Conshohocken in Montgomery County. The card was dated February 16, 1942, he listed his occupation as unemployed, and his response to “name and address of person who will always know your address” was “Mrs. Lillian Scharff, 633 Elm Street.”

A short time later, on April 27, Charles decided to join the Army where his enlistment record says he was married. At that time, according to his obituary, he was working for the Philadelphia Steel and Iron Company in Conshohocken. After basic training he was attached to the 343rd Corps of Engineers. They were responsible for real estate acquisition, construction, and maintenance of Army facilities in the U.S. including training camps, air bases, depots, and hospitals.

Charles was assigned the position of guard at a former state prison in Stringtown, Oklahoma. The federal government took it over for use as an internment camp for resident aliens, including Germans, Italians and some Japanese. The internees had to keep their quarters clean, find meaningful hobbies, and cook their own food. The envious guards let it be known that the internees ate better than they did.

After just six months of active duty, Charles suffered a cerebral  hemorrhage and died at the camp on November 2. The funeral was conducted at 633 Elm Street (so Lillian is presumed to be his wife) but the $350 funeral bill was handled by his widowed father. Charles Sr. had buried his wife at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Philadelphia, but he purchased a separate plot there for his son and ordered a military grave marker. That was also where he was buried after his death in 1958.