Tech5 Eugene E. Oikari

Eugene at age 17-18

Tech5 Eugene E. Oikari was born 24 Sep 1912 in Saint Louis County, Minnesota. He was the youngest of the 7 children born to Emil Mattias and Alma (Kunki) Oikari. His parents were both natives of Finland, which was a province of Russia when they emigrated. His father worked in an iron mine. His mother died in 1921. His father would marry in 1924 to another Finland native, Amanda (Swanberg) Haavisto who was also widowed and had 7 children of her own. Some of the older children had already married and started families of their own. His father is next recorded as working for the public school system and later as a janitor. The family lived at 132 East Wellon Street in Chisholm, Minnesota which Emil owned and was valued at $5000. Emil reported a 1939 income of $960. But Eugene had already moved to Chicago, Illinois where he was working as an insurance underwriter earning $1200 in 1939 and living at 1462 Edgewater Avenue.

Eugene was drafted in May 1942. He was soon assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company 1st Battalion 116th Infantry. He would train with the unit for the amphibious assault planned as part of the liberation of occupied France. Tech5 Oikari was killed in action in that effort on 6 Jun 1944.

Tech5 Eugene E. Oikari rests forever in the Normandy American Cemetery.