Memories of service remain strong for World War II Silver Star recipient

It’s been nearly 76 years since rifleman Charles Palmeri of the 42nd Infantry Division was sent to the front lines in Europe during World War II. He sometimes forgets the names of his fellow soldiers, but the memories have never faded. 

He recalls the relief and terror of befriending a lieutenant on his first night in combat, only to learn the officer was killed by a land mine days later. He recalls the feelings of responsibility upon helping liberate the city of Munich.  He still remembers the revulsion and horror of seeing piles of bodies in the concentration camps at Dachau. It was hard time of tragedy and sacrifice, and he's  grateful to have made it through alive. 

After the war, went back to school, fell in love and found a career in real estate that he still practices in Sarasota. He’s written poetry, compiled into a collected book of his favorites. 

Still, those days in Europe are on Palmeri’s mind more as he gets closer to the 76th anniversary of V-E Day — celebrating the victory of Allied forces in Europe — on May 8. It’s a historic moment, and one Palmeri revisits in “Boy Soldier: Recollections of World War II,” a collection of memories. 

The book grew from a trip he and his wife took to Dachau in 1995 to preserve his memories. 

“I really didn't think anybody would have dead bodies of men and women and children laying around all over the place,” Palmeri said. “Who would believe it if you hadn’t seen it? Today people don’t believe it.”

He had help getting his thoughts onto paper. His second wife Carol, who he met in the early 1990s, helped in the lengthy process of typing, compiling, and editing the many drafts Chuck and she worked on. It was a fluid process for Palmeri, who constantly remembered new details. 

One of the moments from the war Palmeri was recognized for was helping carry a sergeant to safety after he’d been shot while they were traveling through a village in Germany.

Palmeri received a Silver Star medal for his actions that day, though he still feels it was more an act of service than heroism – he felt he was doing what he was supposed to do.

“I always think in terms of guys getting medals who had killed 20 enemies or had done something so unusual,” he said. “ … It was just a day’s work.”

 It’s been a consuming experience for Palmeri to vividly return to the memories of his time, but he’s glad he’s been able to channel them into a book that he hopes will help provide context for others. The experience has had its moments of grace. 

“When I got into it, the names (of soldiers I knew) would come back,” Palmeri said. “I’d remember something I’d forgotten and it would happen again and again.”