Picente Honors Boonville Veteran Charles ‘Jeff’ Scherz

Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr., today announced that he has issued a proclamation honoring Charles “Jeff” Scherz of Boonville, who was inducted into the New York State Senate Veteran’s Hall of Fame in 2010 and who passed away January 20^th.

“Charles “Jeff” Scherz of Boonville played in vital role in America’s time of trial during the Second World War and after the war in developing the prosperity that helped make the nation a society of strong communities,” Picente’s proclamation noted. During World War II, Scherz was part of an Army communications unit that served under General George Patton.  Some of his duties included sending coded messages via teletype, breaking the codes of enemy messages that were intercepted, and installing communications wires. Scherz fought in two major World War II battles, D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge. Additionally, he was involved in the liberation of the Buchenwald Concentration Camp.  

Picente noted that the life lived by Scherz helped to illustrate the greatness of the generation that fought for freedom in the Second World War and then worked to create a level of prosperity that transformed American society. “Charles “Jeff” Scherz of Boonville, in the finest tradition of America’s civilian warriors, returned from World War II and made a successful transition to peacetime by founding and growing an outstanding construction company and later playing an important role in the government of Boonville,” Picente’s proclamation said. He also noted that Scherz “lived a life that illustrated the greatness of so many Americans of his generation by battling far from home to preserve and protect freedom for others before returning home to bring the benefits of his leadership, dedication and commitment to improve the lives of his friends and neighbors.”