World War II was the deadliest military conflict in history. An estimated total of 70–85 million people perished, which was about 3% of the 1940 world population (est. 2.3 billion). Chuckie was one of the 52,173 U.S. Army Air Force killed in action. On 14 June 1950 an official Statement of Death was furnished by the Department of the Army to the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, Court House, Beaver, Pennsylvania noting Charles M. Wilson was killed in action on 28 April 1944 in the line of duty in France.

Battle deaths of US citizens (including POWs who died in captivity, but does not include those who died of disease and accidents) were 292,131: Army 234,874 (including Army Air Forces 52,173); Navy 36,950; Marine Corps 19,733; and Coast Guard 574. Of those killed, 185,924 deaths occurred in the European/Atlantic theater of operations and 106,207 deaths occurred in Asia/Pacific theater of operations. Source: STATISTICAL AND ACCOUNTING BRANCH OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL (June 1, 1953).

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