Charles J. Harley was born in 1907 to Charles and Margaret Harley who lived at 106 East Washington St. in West Chester, Pennsylvania. He was one of three children including John and Sarah. Charles’s father died when he was young.

Charles attended St. Agnes Catholic School on Gay St. in West Chester.  He was a newspaper boy for the town’s newspaper, the Daily Local News.  His mother died in 1941.

After completing school, he worked for several years at the Furniture store Kauffman’s located on the first block of West Gay St. in West Chester.  He later obtained employment in the circulation Department at the Daily Local News, then later at a war plant in Baltimore, Maryland.

Charles enlisted in the Army in 1942. He received basic and advanced training, but was injured in a training accident during desert maneuvers in the west. He was hospitalized and returned to Camp Pickett, Virginia, before being sent overseas to the Pacific Theater.

Charles was and served nearly two years in the Pacific Theater.  He served with the 307^th Infantry Regiment, 77^th Division. He participated in the invasion on Leyte in the Philippines, and on Guam. In April of 1945 his division landed on Okinawa.

Private First Class Charles J. Harley was Killed In Action on May 4, 1945 in the battle of Shuri, Okinawa. He was buried in a military cemetery on the Island.

His sister received his last letter dated April 16^th.  His sister received the telegram of his death in June.

Charles was returned for reburial in his home country in 1949. His was one of 1,922 bodies of servicemen returned on the ship Private John R. Towle.

The family received friends at the J. B. Smith and Son Funeral Home on East Gay St. in West Chester on Thursday evening July 7th. Friday Mass was held in remembrance of Charles at St. Agnes Church, with interment at St. Agnes Cemetery on Rt. 100, just north of the town. Burial was with full military honors with Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion participating.