PFC Charles Bernard Pavoris

courtesy of Frogman

PFC Charles Bernard Pavoris was born 7 Apr 1917 in Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania. He was the 2nd of 4 children born to Charles and Kathryn (Concavage) Pavoris. Both parents were natives of Lithuania. As with many immigrants, the spelling of the family name had been changed at the time of immigration and was sometimes spelled "Pavasaris". His father was a coal miner who died of heart disease in 1938. The family lived at 477 Saylor Street in Atlas, Pennsylvania for several decades even after his father died. Charles attended Mount Carmel Township High School. went to work as a truck driver.

Charles was drafted in February 1942 and assigned to C Company 116th Infantry before the unit boarded the Queen Mary for England in September 1942. PVT Pavoris participated with his training for the invasion of occupied France including training in river crossing which was reported in hometown papers in January 1944. Charles had been promoted to PFC by the time of the amphibious assault at Omaha Beach on D-Day, 6 Jun 1944. PFC Pavoris continued to fight with the unit until 17 Jun 1944. At about 0900 (9:00 am) another C Company soldier, SGT Polyniak, was shot in the hip by a sniper. PFC Pavoris moved up to render first aid and was shot through the neck which killed him almost on top of SGT Polyniak.

PFC Pavoris rests forever in the Normandy American Cemetery. He is remembered on his mother's headstone in Holy Cross Cemetery in Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania but the year of death is incorrect.

Charles' brother, Anthony Albin Pavoris, served as a BM2c aboard the LST-951 and participated in the landing at Okinawa.