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- ONTARIO — Family and friends describe him as lively, sharp, witty and humorous. Perhaps one of Ontario’s most recognized World War II Veterans, Charles “Chick” Keim, will be missed in Ontario.
Keim died Wednesday at the age of 93.
Keim was a man with a tremendous amount of history. He was a paratrooper with the 101st Airborne Division 501st Parachute Regiment, a title he took with great pride.
Most notably, in his days with the U.S. Army Airborne, Keim was one of the few men who assisted in capturing Adolf Hitler’s home, known as the Eagle’s Nest. It was a prominent moment in history and a marked memory for Keim.
During his time of service, he was awarded the Purple Star after he sustained a shrapnel wound to his buttock. He was also awarded the Bronze Star after he reportedly disabled a German Tiger tank.
Ron Verini, a veterans advocate and friend of Keim, said Keim had shot out the tank’s radiator with a bazooka.
“He was a decorated hero. He was a part of our living history,” Verini said.
Keim was indeed a distinguished man in history, and he knew it, which is why he spent his time volunteering at schools, programs and projects to share his experiences and encounters in war.
He regularly visited local high schools to tell WWII stories, and he dutifully worked alongside other Veterans by joining various organizations.
Besides spending many years sharing his encounters in war, Keim’s family said he had many hobbies.
He was extremely active, even at the age of 93, and he enjoyed making people laugh.
“He would always tell jokes. He thought he was the funniest man,” his son, Tom Keim, said.
He was also a singer.
“He wasn’t professional by any means, but he enjoyed it,” his daughter, Mary Jo Flaynn, said.
The decorated veteran was also known as an artist, and would memorize many songs, poems and chants.
And he enjoyed dancing.
“I would take him to many dances at the senior center, and all the ladies would flock to him,” Margie Yasuda, a family friend, said.
A lover of all funny matters, Keim had a clown collection that he began in the 1980s and he was also a cartoonist.
Above all, Keim loved his family and friends.
Plastered around his home are photos of his grandchildren and family. He even began adding to photo albums, that were gifted to him by his son and daughter-in-law.
“He just kept adding more and more pictures,” said Tom.
Many of his war memories are saved in those photo albums and in the items he collected from his time in war, including a Nazi Germany Flag that is now kept at the Warhawk Museum in Caldwell.
In his last years, Keim shared his war story as part of the museum’s Veterans History Project, where now, anyone can watch him retell his encounters in a video on the museum’s website.
“We are proud to have people like Chick to tell their stories. He epitomized what the soldier is really about,” said Verini. “When he signed on the dotted line to serve, he continued to give back until the day he passed away.”
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- 2016
