WWII Veteran, Recent Recipient Of Valor Quilt Charles Schwarz Dies At 93

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP, NJ — A World War II veteran who was just recently honored for his service has died, according to his obituary.

Charles Schwarz, who lived in Manalapan for more than 50 years, died Monday at Wedgwood Gardens Care Center in Freehold Township. He was 93, according to his obituary on the Freeman Funeral Home website.

Schwarz, who was an Army Air Corps tail gunner, had just recently been honored for his service with a Quilt of Valor by the Quilts of Valor Foundation, Rebecca’s Reel Quilters and the South Shore Quilters at a brief ceremony attended by numerous residents at Wedgwood, the rehabilitation and long-term care center on Route 9.

“This is the best neighborhood there is,” Schwarz told Muriel J. Smith, who provided a report and photos from the event, which was attended by dozens of residents.

Prior to the birth of the US Air Force, the Army Air Corps ruled the skies during the second World War and the tail gunner position was one of the most vital positions in the aircraft. The tail gunner protected the rear of an aircraft, usually in a kneeling position on a bicycle-type seat in the second tightest compartment underneath the plane. The tail area was drafty and frostbite was a constant issue.

As the only rear-facing crewmember, he was responsible for passing along information about things behind the aircraft, such as enemy fighters or the condition of the flying formation, to the rest of the crew. Schwarz enlisted in the Air Corps shortly after the Pearl Harbor attack and served throughout the war in that position.

The quilt presentation was made possible through Lori Papirnik of Freehold, who had been friends with Schwarz for a number of years. Papirnik said she first met the former soldier when he lived in Manalapan and she was an employee at the Public Works Department, where he frequently came to voice his opinion on a number of municipal services, Smith wrote.

"I’ve been his friend for 13 years and just wanted to see his heroism being honored," Papirnik said.

Anne Carreiro of Middletown, who arranged for the quilt presentation from Rebecca’s Reel Quilters, said the South Shore Quilters maintain an area near the Cape May Ferry and invite travelers to sign pieces of material with comments for a military member who served on foreign soil. The quilters then arrange the pieces into a bed-size quilt and make the presentations.

Schwarz’ quilt was signed by several generations of New Jersey visitors and residents, ranging from children to senior citizens. Most of the signed pieces offer thanks, appreciation and prayers in handwritten messages. Schwarz’s quilt was the first presented to a resident at Wedgwood Gardens; at least one more presentation is planned for the near future, officials said.

Schwarz was born in Newark and lived in North Jersey before settling in Manalapan more than 50 years ago, according to his obituary. Before retiring, Charles was a machinist for EXC Inc. of Englishtown. He was a member of the 87th US Army Air Corps. Charles is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Carol and Ellsworth Penson; daughter-in-law Nancy; two grandchildren Lorie and Kristy; three great grandchildren and one great great grandchild. A visitation will be held Thursday, Jan. 12, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Freeman Funeral Home, 47 East Main St., Freehold. A funeral service will be 1:30 p.m. at Brig. Gen. Wm. C. Doyle Veteran's Memorial Cemetery, Arneytown.

At the end of the quilt presentation ceremony, residents and staff of Wedgwood Gardens led the crowd in a singing of God Bless America.

Reported by Muriel J. Smith; photos by Jeannie Kim; article and photos provided to the Patch