Chuck McDevitt holding the history book on his battery

Charles (Chuck) E. McDevitt of Oklahoma Borough is very modest about his World War II record in the U.S. Army. He manned the 15-ton Howitzer 8-inch canons during the war, one of the more ultra powerful WWII weapons. In fact, only three regiments were entrusted to man these weapons. Chuck was assigned to the 195th Field Artillery, 1st Army, 7th Corps, Battery B, after being drafted into the Army on January 18, 1943. He had been working as inspector at Alcoa Aluminum in New Kensington at the time.

He wasn’t sure he could remember that much to relate about the war after all these years, but as the interview progressed he began to recall many details. What he didn’t say was that he had many military honors, having been awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star Medal and five Battle Participation Stars. The story behind these awards will unfold as we learn about his service to our country.

After being drafted Chuck was sent to Fort Meade for his basic training. From there he received more training at Fort Ord, California, Desert Training Center in the Mojave Desert in southern California and Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri. After this he was sent to Camp Kilmer in New Jersey to be shipped overseas. They landed in Ireland, moved to Winchester, England where they set up camp.

Here they learned more about the war from returning troops and experienced Goering’s Luftwaffe attacks on nearby areas near the camp. During this time General Eisenhower was making preparations for the Normandy Invasion. Chuck and his men were sent to maneuvers in the Salisbury Plains of England to become acquainted with the ‘serenade’, the massing of firepower from hundreds of Guns on a single spot. Eight days after D-Day (D plus 8), Chuck found his Battery B and heavy canons being ferried across the Channel in British LCT’s.

After landing in France, Chuck began to taste the bitter reality of the war. Even though it was eight days after the invasion his group came under air attack, German cannons were pounding the nearby areas, and pockets of machine gun fire were still strafing their foxholes. As the battalion was going into position, 88 cannon shells found their marks wounding several of the men. As the battery quickly set up and began to pound the enemy relentlessly, the first victory occurred with the surrender of the Germans. The war had begun for Chuck. They quickly began to advance to carry out their mission of breaking enemy lines with continued bombardment. This softened the enemy’s resistance, opened up holes in their defense line and permitted our troops to advance.

The Howitizer Chuck McDevitt manned

Part of Chuck’s duties in addition to manning the Howitzer was to drive the CAT (Caterpillar) that carried the Howitzers. In one battle Chuck and another soldier had to take trucks to load ammunition for the Howitzers. While returning with a load of high explosives one early evening a German plan attempted to strafe them. Chuck was concerned for his safety and pulled over near a building with a soldier out front. As he exited, the soldier inquired as to the trucks content and Church told him about the high explosive shells. He said his troop of men were hiding in the building and told him to get it out there because it was jeopardizing their lives. Chuck quickly left and as he did the plan dropped a bomb that exploded right in front of him. It didn’t hit him, but he thought his buddy’s truck ahead of him was blown up. After returning to camp he found that the other driver and truck were safe.

One of the memorable moments of Chuck’s time in Europe was witnessing the massive air strikes we launched on Germany. During one such siege a German shell blew a plane up that was at the center of all the planes. Thinking all the flyers were killed he then saw all the men parachuting. That scene has never left his memory. Another memorable event was witnessing an entire French village that had been leveled by the Germans. He was amazed at the depth of destruction that the war exacted.

Chuck was also wounded with some other soldiers in one battle, but insisted the other wounded be cared for before him. He was awarded the Purple Heart for his unselfishness and being wounded. It was shrapnel that hit him, but he felt it was a minor wound.

He continued in the war working his way up to Frankfort and then to just outside Berlin where they were stopped as the troops finished conquering the Germans. That essentially was the end of the war for Chuck and shortly after he was released and returned home to his old job. He was married to Betty I. Sloan on August 25th, 1943. Layoffs came later, but Chuck changed his career and began to work with the railroad until he retired.

Chuck and his wife are life long members of the Pleasant View Brethren Church in Keppel Hill. He resides in Oklahoma Borough and visits with his wife twice a day at West Haven Nursing Home for the past five years.

Watch the video interview with Chuck and hear him tell more about his World War II adventures at: http://dev.alle-kiskitoday.com:8880/webcasts/1618