Charles Edward Morgan

Interment will be at Ft Logan National Cemetery, Denver CO. Due to COVID pandemic, services will be scheduled at a later date.

Survivors include children, Charles J. (Claire) Morgan, Maribeth (Rodney) Strand, and Tish (Keith) Hartman; grandchildren Marcia, Brad, Matthew, Kristina, Samantha, Seth and Sean; great grandchildren Charlie and Jackson, Jonathan, Kylie, Andy, Jackson, Kella, Kara, Maggie and Harley; sister in law Phyllis Marlow of Herrin IL.

He was preceded in death by his wife Angelyn, and his daughter Lynn Ann Hindman.

Charles was born October 10, 1919 at Herrin, Illinois to Lillian Wagoner and Frank Morgan. He was a graduate of Herrin High School and Southern Illinois State Teachers College. Charles was an A-student who played football, basketball, excelled at baseball, but became a track star throughout high school, college, and in the Army Air Corps. The 440-yard dash record he set on an old cinder track in 1937 still stood in 1998 when he was inducted into the Herrin High School Hall of Fame.

In 1941 after college, Charles returned to Herrin High School as a teacher and assistant track coach. He took the Army Air Force exam in 1942, passed and was sent to Texas for pilot training. He received pre-flight training at Kelly Field in San Antonio and primary training at Hicks in Ft. Worth. Advanced training came at Ellington Field in Galveston, TX where he earned his Lieutenant’s bars and pilot’s wings. Angelyn attended the ceremony and pinned on his bars and wings. Charles and Angelyn were married immediately after the pinning ceremony along with approximately 250 other couples. Angelyn was allowed to accompany him to Liberal Kansas for B-24 training.

Between May and August of 1944, Charles piloted a B-24 on 35 bombing missions over Germany, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, and the EAME Campaign Medal with three Bronze Stars.

After the war, he returned home to Herrin to work for his father in law as the office manager and food buyer for the P&R Markets. His civilian career was interrupted by a call-up to active duty prompted by the Korean War. He flew B-29s for the 580th Aerial Resupply Squadron in Great Falls, Montana and later was sent to Mountain Home AFB in Idaho to pilot C-119s.

In 1952 he left the Air Force and began a 27-year career with Pet Milk Company in St. Louis as a sales and medical specialist to hospitals and doctors. He and Angelyn made their home in Belleville, Illinois until 1970 when he was promoted to Division Manager of Pet’s largest territory in Denver, Colorado. From 1976 to 1985 he worked at Bancker Nichols Food Brokerage as Office Manager and Account Executive. From 1986 to 1987 he worked at Snyder Hayes Hurd Food Brokerage as the Director of Marketing. He retired in 1987.

Chuck belonged to the 8th Air Force Historical Society and was an active and beloved member of The American Legion Post 178 in Lakewood, CO. He never grew tired of telling countless stories from his youth and military experience, including a favorite about a C-119 flight that took him near enough to his hometown of Herrin that he decided to regale his friends and relatives on the ground with four low-level buzzes. The incident was reported in the local newspaper citing some damage to the town’s radio tower and drew the Sheriff’s attention, but the rogue aircraft disappeared before being identified.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to Foothills Animal Shelter, 580 McIntyre Street, Golden, CO, 80401.