Profiles Spring-Summer 2014 HFDFW

 

Charles was playing tag football at his house on Sunday December 7, 1941 when he heard of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

After basic training, Charles was sent overseas with Company C, 126^th Regiment of the U.S. Army’s 32^nd Infantry Division. The 32^nd was known as the “Red Arrow Division” and was activated on October 15, 1940. The division saw 654 days of combat in such locations as New Guinea, Southern Philippines and the island of Luzon.

Charles was a rifleman and squad leader. He was wounded on Luzon by a Japanese soldier who shot Charles in the head and was in the hospital paralyzed from the waist down. A fellow soldier carried him down to breakfast one morning. When they got back a Purple Heart medal was laying on his bed. He’s still not sure who put it there. Six weeks later Charles walked out of the hospital and went back to combat. He later was on occupation duty in Japan.

Charles was awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star and numerous other medals and citations. He was discharged from the Army on August 21, 1946 with the rank of Staff sergeant.