Charles Raymond Truncer
T/5 in 603rd Engineer Camouflage Bn : Co D, 1st Platoon
ASN#13114527
Born 1922 in PA, Died 1987
Artist
County of residence at enlistment: Philadelphia County, PA
Other residence(s): Philadephia, PA
United States Army, European Theatre of Operations
Occupation before the war: clerks, general office
College education before the war: 2 years
Charles Truncer was born on March 6, 1922 in Philadelphia, PA, the younger of two sons. His father worked as an administrator in the biochemical industry—at a company (or companies) variously identified as biochemical manufacturing, drug house, and chemical company.
He graduated from Olney High School in Philadelphia in 1940; his yearbook reports that he was on the yearbook's art staff and the text by his photo says that was "one of Olney's finest artists"; his nickname there was "Chick."
He may have attended college from 1940-1942, though, if so, it is not known where. At the time he registered for the draft, on June 30, 1942, he was working as a clerk at Fletcher Works in Philadelphia, a company that made machinery for the textile industry.
He enlisted on September 15, 1942, and, like many artists, found himself assigned to the 603rd Engineer Camouflage Battalion. He saw service in Europe with the unit during the war, and was discharged with the rank of T/5 on October 21, 1945.
By 1950 he was working as a commercial artist, and still living with his parents. Nothing else is known of his life or work.
Gus died on January 25, 1987 and his ashes are interred at Westminster Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, PA.
Sources:
1930 census
1940 census
1940 high school yearbook
1942 draft card
1942 enlistment record
1950 Pennsylvania Veterans' Compensation File
1950 census
1987 VA death record
1987 Find a Grave record
1987 Pennsylvania Veterans' Burial Cards
1987 Pennsylvania and NJ church and town records
1987 Social Security death index