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Orion Douglas Charles

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Orion Douglas Charles

Birth	:	18 Dec 1924 Vulcan, Mingo County, West Virginia, USA
Death	:	23 May 1997 Huntington, Cabell County, West Virginia, USA
Burial	:	Forest Memorial Park, Milton, Cabell County, USA
Coordinate	:	38.4285350, -82.1843220
Inscription	:	ORION DOUGLAS CHARLES US NAVY M SGT US ARMY WORLD WAR II KOREA DECEMBER 18, 1924 MAY 23, 1997 PURPLE HEART
Description	:	Orion Douglas Charles was born at Vulcan, Mingo County, WV on December 18, 1924, to parents Aulbert Charles (1898-1938) and Effie Mullins Charles (1904-1986). Orion was the second son born to the family after older brother Andrew ( 1923-1994) who was 18 months old at the time. Baby brother Hassel would arrive in 1926 & little sister Mary Belle in 1929. In 1930, when Orion was 5, the family lived at Magnolia, Mingo County, WV. Aulbert was working on machinery for the mines & Effie was a stay at home mom and housekeeper. This was pretty much the... Read More	Orion Douglas Charles was born at Vulcan, Mingo County, WV on December 18, 1924, to parents Aulbert Charles (1898-1938) and Effie Mullins Charles (1904-1986). Orion was the second son born to the family after older brother Andrew ( 1923-1994) who was 18 months old at the time. Baby brother Hassel would arrive in 1926 & little sister Mary Belle in 1929. In 1930, when Orion was 5, the family lived at Magnolia, Mingo County, WV. Aulbert was working on machinery for the mines & Effie was a stay at home mom and housekeeper. This was pretty much the norm for the time period. In 1938, when Orion was 14 years old, his father Aulbert was killed in a mine related accident in WV. Dad Joined the Navy when he was 15 years old by giving an inaccurate birthdate. At age 16 the Navy caught on and promptly released him from service. On August 21, 1943, dad joined the Army for WWII. Dad served in the China-Burma-India theatre during WWII and drove the Ledo Burma Road. He was also in North Africa. At one point he hooked up with Merrills Marauders. He certainly had some stories to tell. We so wish we could hear them today. He was discharged from the military February 11, 1946 and married Dora Marie Jones (1929-2015) on January 10, 1947 in Williamson, WV. Dora was the daughter of Burt Jones and Verda Ratliff Jones. The military would call again for the Korean conflict and dad enlisted November 5, 1950. He was shot June 5, 1951 while serving, sent for surgery and to recuperate. At the time in 1950's the physicians advised against removing the bullet due to its final resting place in dads body. So he lived with it the rest of his life. He returned to action and was discharged November 21, 1951 a Master Sergeant. Dad was awarded A Purple Heart for his Military actions in Korea. Dad came off the front lines and the Red Cross had coffee and doughnuts for a PRICE! Dad never had a nice word about the Red Cross again The family would live at Road Fork and Lick Creek Williamson, WV until about 1962. Orion worked in the Coal mines. We have memories of dad coming home all covered in coal dust and only seeing the whites of his eyes! He wore a black and red plaid baseball type cap for work. Mom would require dad to take his Coal covered clothes off on the back porch before coming in the house. About 1962 the family moved to Huntington, WV. They lived on Gallagher street first then moved to Marshall Avenue about 1964 where dad would spend the rest of his life. I'm not sure when but dad got the nickname "O.D." ( stands for Orion Douglas). Most people called him that but his mom, sister and brothers always called him Orion. So the nickname was not from childhood. I don't know if it was from the military or from work. My guess is Military. After dad had been shot in Korea, he was released back to active duty but light duty. He was assigned to the Transportation unit where he learned his mechanic trade. This trade served him well for it became his profession. He worked at several Auto Dealerships in Huntington, WV but his long term employment was Hayden Ford, Kenova, WV as a Service Manager. Dad did quite well in his job earning awards that would allow him and mom to travel to Spain, Switzerland, Hawaii and Las Vegas. Orion and Dora had 3 daughters and 2 sons surviving to adulthood. There are now 12 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren. Brett Charles Workman, grandson (1997-2014) Dad loved to collect coins and grow his garden. Dad's family both maternal and fraternal is absolutely rich with history, legacies and stories that Are incredible. His direct line descendants can be traced to Charlemagne. The numbers are countless so we've selected a couple from both Grandpa Aulbert Charles line and Grandma Effie Mullin's line: * Emperor Charlemagne (732-814) 38th great grandfather ( Aulbert Charles line) * King Of England Edward Plantagenet II ( 1284-1327) 20th great grandfather ( Effie Mullins Charles line) Sir Ludovic Grant (1696-1756) 7th great grandfather. ( Aulbert Charles line)Highly noted Pioneer and Fur trader with the Cherokee in TN. Grant helped the South Carolina government during colonial days. His letters to the governor of SC from 1751-1756, preserved in state archives, alerted authorities about what was going on in the Cherokee Nation and French aggression in the colonies. Adam Sherrill (1696-1772) 7th great grandfather ( Effie Mullins line) Adam along with his 8 sons crossed the Catawba River in Noth Carolina in 1747. He was the 1st permanent white settler on the West Bank of the Catawba River in North Carolina. At the Ford where they crossed, now bears his name Sherrills Ford, NC. His sons Samuel & Uriah Sherrill were part of the " Over the Mountain Men" and fought in the Battle of Kings Mountain. Asa Harmon McCoy (1828-1865) 2nd great grandfather ( Aulbert Charles line) a union soldier, was shot in 1865 by the Logan Wildcats. The Wildcats were led by William Anderson "Devil Anse" Hatfield. Jim Vance was the reported leader in the murder although there was never a conviction. This was the first incident between the two families. William Anderson "Devil Anse" Hatfield (1839-1921) 3rd great Uncle ( Effie Mullins line) Head of the Hatfield family William Towne (1599-1673) & Joanna Blessing Towne (1595-1675) 8th great grand parents ( Aulbert Charles line). In 1640, they settled their large family in Salem, Massachusetts, where three of their daughters would later be accused of witchcraft and inspire the famous play "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller. Rebecca Towne Nurse ( 1622-1692) 8th great Aunt ( Aulbert Charles line) Rebecca and her sisters Mary Easty and Sara Cloyes were accused by a group of young girls of bewitching them, causing fits. At the time of her arrest, Rebecca was 71 years old. She was a pious woman and a respected member of the community. Her husband Francis Nurse, was a prominent land owner & involved in disputes with Thomas Putnam, father of Ann Putnam Jr. Thomas Putnam (1614-1686) 6th great Uncle & daughter Ann Putnam (1661-1699) (Aulbert Charles line). Accusers during the Salem witch trials. Ann was one of the eight girls who accused and testified against Rebecca Nurse. Roger Conant (1614-1686) 10th great grandfather ( Aulbert Charles line ) Founder of Salem Massachusetts. Roger came to American from England in 1623 aboard the ship called the ANNE The Princess Matoaka Pocahontas Powhatan (1595-1617) 12th great grandmother from her first marriage to Kocoum (1580-1613). Albert Charles Line & Effie Mullins Charles line) Their daughter KA Okee Jane Patawomeck 11th great grandmother (1613-1670 est) After Pocahontas was taken away to England by John Thomas Rolfe (1585-1675) ( who happens to be our 11th great grandfather through our mothers line) Kocoum was killed by the English Captain of the ship ( info taken from resource on Wikipedia). The tribe protected Jane & kept her existence a secret. The public was fascinated by the story of Pocahontas & they wanted to be sure she remained safe. Our line continued by Janes daughter Keziah Arroyah. This line can be traced through both our grandfather Aulbert Charles & our Grandmother Effie Mullins Charles. Plus as mentioned earlier, we have ties to the same family through our mothers maternal side of the family, Dora Jones Charles/ Louvina Corrina Coleman Ratliff.

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Orion Douglas Charles's memorial?
Orion Douglas Charles's memorial is located at: Forest Memorial Park, Milton, Cabell County, USA.
When did Orion Douglas Charles death?
Orion Douglas Charles death on 23 May 1997 in Huntington, Cabell County, West Virginia, USA
Where are the coordinates of the Orion Douglas Charles's memorial?
Latitude: 38.4285350
Longitude: -82.1843220

Family Members:

Parent

Spouse

Dora Marie “Maw Maw” Jones Charles

(1929 - 2015)

Siblings

Children

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Forest Memorial Park
Milton, Cabell County, USA
Coordinate: 38.4285350, -82.1843220

2. Maupin Cemetery
Ona, Cabell County, USA
Coordinate: 38.4342003, -82.1928024

3. Beulah Chapel Cemetery
Ona, Cabell County, USA
Coordinate: 38.4178910, -82.1912380

4. Daniel Love Cemetery
Ona, Cabell County, USA
Coordinate: 38.4322970, -82.2013140

5. Cabell County Farm
Ona, Cabell County, USA
Coordinate: 38.4260500, -82.2126600

6. Sheff Cemetery
Ona, Cabell County, USA
Coordinate: 38.4423530, -82.2067910

7. Holroyd Family Cemetery
Ona, Cabell County, USA
Coordinate: 38.4247208, -82.2133331

8. Holley Cemetery
Milton, Cabell County, USA
Coordinate: 38.4451000, -82.1579300

9. Yates Cemetery
Milton, Cabell County, USA
Coordinate: 38.4578500, -82.1685290

10. Howell-Rimmer Cemetery
Cabell County, USA
Coordinate: 38.4435350, -82.2213140

11. Gwinn Cemetery
Milton, Cabell County, USA
Coordinate: 38.4592361, -82.1679535

12. McComas Cemetery
Milton, Cabell County, USA
Coordinate: 38.4627200, -82.1828500

13. Chapman Cemetery
Cabell County, USA
Coordinate: 38.4013400, -82.1576000

14. Yates Family Cemetery
Ona, Cabell County, USA
Coordinate: 38.4337810, -82.2280370

15. Mud River Baptist Church Cemetery
Ona, Cabell County, USA
Coordinate: 38.4176100, -82.2399500

16. Milton Cemetery
Milton, Cabell County, USA
Coordinate: 38.4383510, -82.1268040

17. Blue Sulphur Burial Park
Ona, Cabell County, USA
Coordinate: 38.4171982, -82.2422028

18. Rece Cemetery
Milton, Cabell County, USA
Coordinate: 38.4238820, -82.1213650

19. Union Memorial Cemetery
Milton, Cabell County, USA
Coordinate: 38.4239440, -82.1213300

20. Beckett Family Cemetery
Fudges Creek, Cabell County, USA
Coordinate: 38.3738290, -82.1884530

21. Beckett Cemetery
Fudges Creek, Cabell County, USA
Coordinate: 38.3737530, -82.1885820

22. Ronk Cemetery
Milton, Cabell County, USA
Coordinate: 38.4567490, -82.1186676

23. William Morrison Cemetery
Roach, Cabell County, USA
Coordinate: 38.3735130, -82.2112200

24. Beckett Cemetery
Milton, Cabell County, USA
Coordinate: 38.4074860, -82.1140650