Charles J. Schlag

On June 13, 2020, Charles John Schlag, loving husband and father, passed away at age 97 in Malvern, PA.

Charles was born on August 25, 1922 in Wheeling WV to Eva (Dailer) Schlag and Raymond Charles Schlag. He is predeceased by his brother Thomas Schlag, brother Donald Schlag, and sister Betty Ruth Nelson. His sister, Sister Eva Marie Schlag resides at Mount St. Joseph, Wheeling WV. As the oldest of five and the first male child in a long time, Charles was, according to his own recollection, spoiled his many aunts. At 15, he hitchhiked a ride to a local fair and used his savings to buy his first plane ride in a tri-motor Ford. From that day on, flying was his passion. He graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1941 and went on to work for Bell Telephone in Wheeling as a lineman. When WWII broke out, he anxiously awaited the call to enlist, watching his friends go one by one. Charles finally enlisted and was placed in the Navy Pilot training program at Mount Saint Mary’s in Emmitsburg MD. He was a qualified navigator and a qualified pilot. Initially he was qualified in the Douglas SBD5-A Dauntless dive bomber. In addition, he was qualified in the F4U-4 Corsair fighter plane. It was in this fighter plane that he served aboard the USS Intrepid carrier in the Pacific as a member of Fighter Squadron 10 (VF-10), known as the Grim Reapers. He is credited with shooting down five enemy planes to become an Ace. He often noted that most of his fellow pilots became Aces, too. While stationed in Cape May, NJ, for training, he met his future wife, Audrey Zener. When he saw Audrey walking along, Chuck (as only she called him) was smitten instantly and asked her to pray for rain so he wouldn’t have to ship out the next day. That was when the 1944 hurricane hit and he never asked her to pray for rain again! As he put her on the train home, he told her he would marry her. They married on April 22, 1946 and recently celebrated 74 years of marriage. After the war he joined the Naval Air Reserve and rejoined Bell Telephone in Wheeling where he and Audrey started their family. It wasn’t long before Charles transferred to Bell Telephone in Philadelphia and the Naval Reserve station in Willow Grove, PA. He and Audrey, along with their first son moved to Pennsylvania where they lived ever since. Charles retired from Bell Telephone (later Verizon) after 42 years. After 20 years of service in the Navy, he retired as Lieutenant Commander. Grandchildren have certain naming rights and Charles, Chuck, and dad became Grandpop Charlie or just Charlie. Charlie’s love of flying was eclipsed only by his love of Audrey. He will be remembered by all for his inventive stories, crazy contraptions, and his tomatoes. A summer wasn’t a summer without one of Charlie’s famous tomatoes. Charlie’s oral history is recorded at the Intrepid Museum in NYC; National Museum of the Pacific War, in San Antonio, TX; in the book Twilight Warriors; and in an upcoming HBO special on the Pacific pilots. Charlie was a devoted Catholic having served as an usher for 32 years at St. Patrick Church in Malvern, PA. He will be missed by his faithful and loving wife, Audrey, and by their 7 children: Rene (Marguerite), Marilyn (Edward), Carol (John), Karen (Michael), Linda (Duane), Eric (Cindy), and Lois (Tom); by his 11 grandchildren and 7 greatgrandchildren. A funeral service will be held at St. Patrick Church, Malvern, PA. Attendance is limited due to COVID-19. He will be interred at a later date at Arlington National Cemetery. A memorial celebration will be held, when possible, in the spring of 2021. Donations to St. Jude’s can be made in his honor at this site: http://giftfunds.stjude.org/CharlesSchlag