Charles, 89, of Clare Bridge of Asheville in Asheville, NC, is a brave military veteran with an inspiring life story. After Charles served in the US Marine Corps, he went to college at Purdue University and was a fullback on their football team for one year. Charles, who remains to be one of the most dedicated Purdue fans out there, wished to travel to West Lafayette, IN, to attend one last Purdue football game.
Charles joined the Marines immediately after graduating from high school in the heart of WWII. Charles proudly tells of his service in the Tokyo Bay Occupation Force, also known as Task Force 31, an elite unit of the Marines that participated in the initial landing and occupation of the Tokyo Bay Area. He attained the rank of sergeant in the US Marine Corps before being discharged in 1945. After graduating from Purdue in 1950, Charles became a high school football coach and continued his career in education administration for 43 years.
On Friday, November 22nd, 2013, Wish of a Lifetime and Brookdale sent Charles and his companion Amy from Asheville, NC, to his hometown of Lafayette, IN, to attend Purdue’s last home game versus the Illinois Fighting Illini. Charles was able to meet the coach at a pregame event, watch warm-ups from the sidelines, get a tour of the athletic facilities, and sit next to Mitch Daniels, the President of Purdue, for the entire game!
