Charles J Vadeboncoeur^[1]

Abt 1923 - 1945  (~ 22 years)    Has 66 ancestors but no descendants in this family tree.

 Set As Default Person    

• Name	Charles J Vadeboncoeur
  Gender	Male
  Born	Abt 1923	Massachusetts   [1]
  Census	1930	Beverly, Essex, Massachusetts, United States   [1]
  Census	1940	Beverly, Essex, Massachusetts, United States   [2]
  Military	US Army, WWII; 10th Mountain Division
  Died	10 Jun 1945	Italy   [3]
  	Cause: KIA
  Notes	in memory - Beverly Citizen (MA) - 21 May 2015 On a wooded hillside just outside of Florence, Italy, 4,402 of our military are laid to rest at the Florence American Cemetery and Memorial. Among the fallen heroes is Tech Sgt. Charles Vadeboncoeur, born and raised in Beverly at 39 Crescent St. Every Memorial Day, flowers are set upon his grave. George and Delia Fecteau Vadeboncoeur, Charles' parents made arrangements with the American Battle Monuments Commission. Richard Henderson of Newburyport, nephew of Charles, has carried on the tradition. Henderson said that, a few years before she passed away, his Aunt Delia Vadeboncoeur visited the cemetery while touring Italy. She asked the cemetery caretaker for assistance in locating the gravesite of her son. She was amazed that the caretaker knew the exact location of her son's headstone amidst 70 acres and 4,402 soldier's graves. She assumed he would have to consult a map database, but the caretaker quickly replied, "Yes, Mrs. Henderson, I can show you where your family member rests. I've been placing flowers on that gravesite every Memorial Day for as long as I can remember." Delia told her nephew it gave her comfort to know that her son was being so cared for. It is so important to families that their loved ones are honored and remembered for their sacrifice. Memorial Day was started in the aftermath of the Civil War and originally called Decoration Day. It symbolized, not only a day to memorialize our soldiers, but it also symbolized healing for our nation. It was moment of peace when two conflicted fronts, North and South, came together to commemorate the fallen brave soldiers. In both World War I and World War II the fallen were not returned home for the burial ritual and families had to find ways to compensate. ... Charles Vadeboncoeur graduated Beverly High School in 1941 and took a job at the United Machinery Shoe Corporation for the United States Army. Later that same year, he enlisted in the Army and was sent to Camp Hale in Colorado for 19 months of intense training to serve in the specialized Mountain Division Forces. According to U.S. Army, the Division trained at the 9,200-foot high Camp Hale and honed the skills of its soldiers to fight and survive under the most brutal mountain conditions. In 1945, Vadeboncoeur completed the program and was part of the exclusive U.S. Army 10th Mountain Division. He immediately engaged in action and participated in the invasion of Kiska. He was awarded a Purple Heart for the wounds he received in that action. Within a few months, he was in two more engagements in Burma and suffered more injuries. He was on his way back to the States for further training and his ship was torpedoed. The unit had to change ship mid-ocean. He attended a special course to learn more field work at Camp Swift in Texas. It was just a brief stint home for this soldier and back to the mountains for further duty. On Dec. 29, the day before his 21st birthday, the family received their last letter from Vadeboncoeur stating he arrived safely. A telegram arrived a few weeks following from Adjutant General Ulio stating Vadeboncoeur had been killed in action Jan. 10, 1945. He was hit in the North Apennine Mountains during an engagement while he was selflessly aiding a comrade who had been blown up by a German "S" mine. The unit Vadeboncoeur was part of played an integral role in overtaking German defenses despite treacherous mountain terrain and extreme winter weather, ultimately leading to the surrender of enemy forces and the liberation of Italy. World War II was fought on land, on sea and in air. It raged on for six years and its impact was felt in every corner of the globe. Richard Henderson, who shared this story, has a son in the military. Matt Henderson is a United States Navy Corpsman stationed in Okinawa, Japan, and he is so very proud of him. Let this be a reminder to all of us this Memorial Day to remember the men and women who died to preserve our freedom and independence; and salute the generation that is actively doing so now.
  Person ID	I89359	Filteau - Fecteau - Facteau families
  Last Modified	17 Sep 2016

  
  

  Father	George F Vadeboncoeur,   b. Apr 1885, QC ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Mother	Delia M - Lizzie Fecteau,   b. 22 May 1887, Marlborough, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States ,   d. Abt 1936  (Age 48 years)
  Married	11 Jun 1906	Salem, Essex, Massachusetts, United States   [4, 5]
  		MA - M - Vadeboncoeur, George (21) and Delia Fecteau (19) - 11 Jun 1906 - Salem marriage - line 247
  Census records » Slide Show		1910 - Vadeboncoeur, George T + Delia [Fecteau] - Beverly, MA hh 233, lines 34+
  		1920 - Vadeboncoeur, George (Delia Fecteau) - MA, Essex, Beverly lines 82+
  		1930 - Vadeboncoeur, George (Delia Fecteau) - MA, Essex, Beverly (1 of 2) lines 98+ family is continued on another image
  		1930 - Vadeboncoeur, George (Delia Fecteau) - MA, Essex, Beverly (2 of 2) lines 1+ family is continued from another image
  Family ID	F5244	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map	Click to display
  	Load the map	Born - Abt 1923 - Massachusetts Census - 1930 - Beverly, Essex, Massachusetts, United States Census - 1940 - Beverly, Essex, Massachusetts, United States Died - Cause: KIA - 10 Jun 1945 - Italy  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Sources

  [S378] Census 1930, Massachusetts, Essex, Beverly, ED 13, shts 7B and 8A, pp 27B and 28A, lines 98+ and 1+. [S1676] Census 1940, Massachusetts, Essex, Beverly, ED 5-28, sh 8A, hh 183, lines 28+. [S1827] GenealogyBank.com, Charles Vadeboncoeur - in memory - Beverly Citizen (MA) - 21 May 2015. [S293] Sidnice. [S1522] Massachusetts Marriage Records 1841-1915, film 2315297, folder 4329355, rec 10489; George Vadeboucoeur (21) and Delia Fecteau (19) - 11 Jun 1906 - Salem.