USAF Chuck (retired) Lt. Colonel Charles Benjamin Ashby

He was born to Roger and Ruby Ashby in Hanson, Kentucky on August 11, 1923. Chuck was known as Benjie while growing up on the family farm in rural Kentucky during the Great Depression years.

Just after turning 18, he hitch-hiked almost 700 miles to Fort Bragg, North Carolina to enlist in the Army Air Corps on August 29, 1941. The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor 4 months later.

As an enlisted man (and now known as Chuck), he excelled as an aviation mechanic, and within a year was promoted to sergeant and crew chief. He then set his sights on becoming an officer and a pilot. He worked very hard and earned acceptance into Aviation Cadets in California during the summer of 1943.

The training was demanding, and his instructors challenged him like never before, because they insisted on graduating only the best pilots for the war. But like so many other challenges in his life, he succeeded where two-thirds of his classmates failed. In February 1944, and only 20 years old, he earned his wings and was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant in the Army Air Corps.

Almost immediately thereafter, he was selected for a secret mission that took him to Florida for training in the new C-47 Skytrain, affectionately known as the Gooney Bird.

This would become one of his favorite airplanes, and the one that would carry him overseas to Nepal, India and the Burma Theater. In June 1944, just 2 months before his 21st birthday, he flew his first mission in combat.

By the spring of 1945, he had flown over 240 missions and logged over eleven hundred pilot hours in very difficult and dangerous flying conditions. His efforts were truly meritorious, and were rewarded with very significant honors.

Chief among those was The Distinguished Flying Cross. This medal was sparingly awarded for heroism and extraordinary flying achievement in actual combat operations. Earning one of these medals was obviously a significant accomplishment, but Chuck earned four of them!

Additionally, he also earned five Air Medals for distinctive acts of heroism and meritorious achievements while in actual combat situations.

After a year in combat, he was assigned to duty in Santa Ana, California. He's now a very young 21-year old Captain. This is when he met a 19-year old nursing student who quickly stole his heart.

Marilynn Chirhart was her given name, but she was known as "Chic". They married on October 9, 1945 and quickly set off on a journey together that would take them all over this country, to Great Britain, and to travels in many other European countries.

It was now 1946, and the War was ending. Hundreds of thousands of officers were seeking only 8,000 Regular Commission slots. Chuck's exemplary record allowed him to earn one of them.

Following the War, he returned overseas to serve in Germany during the Berlin Airlift operations and then in 1950, he was among the first 100 officers selected for a prestigious new unit of the Strategic Air Command (SAC) to crew the new B-47 Stratojet Bomber.

The B-47 was the world's first six-engine jet-propelled bomber, and with air-to-air refueling, was capable of delivering nuclear weapons on targets anywhere in the world.

The bomber, however, was designed to carry only three crew members, and each member had to be able to perform the other's job to assure the mission could succeed if something happened to one of them.

This led to the requirement for special airmen to have pilot, navigator, radar observer, and bombardier qualifications. They would become known as "Four-Headed Monsters". It required three years to attain the additional ratings.

Following the B-47 program, Chuck served as an instructor pilot and traveled extensively as an Inspector General for SAC.

In 1960, Chuck was recruited into missile operations, and served as a Launch Operations Commander in California and South Dakota.

On February 5, 1966, Chuck retired from the Air Force at Ellsworth Air Force Base after 24 years, 5 months and 5 days of meritorious service.

It was time to conquer new challenges. So, he, Chic and three children moved to San Antonio. He wisely chose to begin a new career in real estate sales. This was perfect for Chuck because of his friendly nature, gift of gab, and persuasiveness. These qualities allowed him to excel and to win awards as the top seller in the agency he worked for.

On April Fools' Day 1972, he opened his own company, Chuck Ashby Realtor. Along with Chic, Chuck worked tirelessly to guide the company to become the premiere agency in Northeast San Antonio.

Chic passed away in 1995 after struggling with Parkinson's disease for many years. Throughout those difficult times, Chuck not only managed his successful business, but became Chic's devoted caregiver.

He then began winding down his real estate activities, following current events, having long breakfasts at Jim's Restaurant and enjoying time with his church family at Grace Bible Church.

Chuck was blessed with excellent health, and lived independently at his home until he was almost 92. He completed his life on earth with loving assistance by the family he so adored, and by the wonderful staff and hospice colleagues at Blue Skies of Texas. There are simply too many to mention by name, but we love them all.

The family will also be forever grateful to Druscilla (Dru) Ozornia and Lourdes (Lulu) Gamboa of Care Services who watched over Chuck with loving devotion through the late-night hours during his final weeks.

He is preceded in death by his parents, his sister Christine Wade and by his loving wife of 50 years, Marilynn (Chic) Chirhart Ashby.

He is survived by: his sister, Louise Jones of Littleton, Colorado; brother Buck Ashby (Sophie) of Scottsdale, Arizona; daughters and son Cherry Turner (Jeff), Jody Dragoo (Bill), Tim Ashby (Mary), all from San Antonio.

Chuck is also survived by seven grandchildren: Jason, Nicolas, Danielle, Sjon, Summer, Melody and Matthew. There are also twelve great-grandchildren, with one on the way.

Visitation will be held on Sunday, April 9, 2017, from 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. at Porter Loring Mortuary North, 2102 North Loop 1604 East San Antonio, Texas 78232. Funeral services will be held on Monday, April 10, 2017 at 12:00 noon at Grace Bible Chapel, 18911 Redland Road, San Antonio, 78259. Interment with military honors will follow at 2:00 p.m. at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, those wishing to do so may make financial contributions to Grace Bible Chapel, The Salvation Army or The Wounded Warrior Project.