After 73 years, World War II veteran Charles Edward Oetjen has finally gotten his Blue Island homecoming.
The remains of the Marine private first class arrived at O’Hare on Friday. Oetjen was then buried with full military honors on Saturday at 10 a.m. at First Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery in Alsip, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
In 1943, before his 18th birthday, Oetjen dropped out of high school to enlist in the Marine Corps. Following training in New Zealand and California, he was shipped to the Pacific to fight in the Battle of Tarawa, a fight that lasted from November 20 to 23 in 1943. He was killed in action.
The efforts of History Flight, an organization dedicated to recovering the remains of American veterans, brought the fallen Marine home. The group has searched for over a decade and uncovered many bodies that have been returned to hometowns. Oetjen was found first in a trench and was identified by dental records and his repaired dog tag.
The family of Oetjen is putting the pieces together to learn his story. Cousin Ken Oetjen was the first to receive the call from History Flight and has discovered new information from the Blue Island Historical Society. He said he learned that the veteran enjoyed baseball and basketball at Blue Island High School, now Eisenhower. He also came across a few letters and farewell cards.
Ken Oetjen was emotional learning about his estranged family member, but remembered him as being a “typical young kid” looking to fight for his country.
