The war and its aftermath changed many American families forever. More than 292,000 American servicemen were killed in action in WWII. Families on the home front were profoundly affected. Another gruesome statistic in the arithmetic of war is the number of soldiers missing in action, lost at sea, or interred as unknowns.  To this day, the remains of over 70,000 American G.I.s from World War II have never been officially recovered or identified. For the families of these veterans, the war, in some ways, is not over.

For Chuckie’s immediately family, life went on without him but was never the same. The pain of their loss was ever present for the rest of their days. In the 1950s, Chuckie’s sister Mary married a military man living the majority of her adult life where military duty called. They had three children – Donna, Mike and Link.

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Chuckie’s brother Jack and his wife Geri remained near his parents in Beaver, Pennsylvania for the rest of their marriage in the 1950s and early 60s raising their only child, a daughter Lynn. She’s was the baby in the V-MAIL photo of his niece that Chuckie likely never saw.

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Chuckie’s parents had been married 47 years in 1964 at the time this photo was taken, twenty years after Chuckie was killed in action. His father “J.B.” was nearly deaf; he’s seen wearing hearing aids of the time. Notice the mirror reflection of their friends at the top of the wall sharing the joy of this moment too. It’s a wonderful story photo capturing a human moment of the author of Unforgotten Glory‘s great-grandparents. Enormous affection between them remains; having survived a long, difficult life journey together on a road well travelled yet still possessing an abiding love.

Jack “J.B.” – Chuckie’s father, passed away on 15 June 1964 in Beaver, Pennsylvania at the age of 74 year old. In 1966, Chuckie’s brother became a grandfather for a second time with this birth of another boy making Evie a great grandmother for the second time.

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Chuckie’s brother Jack divorced and remarried. In the 1970s, family time was spent with him in Ohio each summer on his boat, at Kings Island amusement park, the movies and fun restaurants.

Evie – Chuckie’s mother moved to Virginia in the last years of her life and was well cared for by her daughter Mary. Thankfully, both of Evie’s remaining children would outlive her; she would never again have to suffer the pain of losing a child during her lifetime. She died peacefully on 30 March 1977 at the age of 82.

Jack – Chuckie’s brother, lived the last two decades of his life happily with his wife Jean.

He died on 10 May 1991 at the age of 71.

Mary- Chuckie’s sister, returned in the 1980s to the land of the Wilson family roots – deep in the American South – following her husband’s retirement from military service. She passed away on 24 Feb 1998 Shreveport, Louisiana at the age of 73 years old.

Chuckie’s family was always proud of him, what he did for his country and the ultimate sacrifice made for freedom. Over the years since his death, each drew strength and comfort from the knowledge that he’d played a small part in protecting the freedom of others and winning the war.

Together, we honor those like Chuckie who fought and died for freedom. Connecting with a loved one’s WWII experience becomes tougher with each passing day—as conversations, old documents, and photos fade. Thanks everyone for joining in commemorating the 75^th anniversary of D-DAY by following this storytelling of the life of US Army Staff Sergeant Charles “Chuckie” Melvin Wilson and his fellow Operation Carpetbagger crew of the 36^thBomb Squad, 801^st Bomb Group so that their contribution to freedom will not be forgotten.