[ back ]
BERNS, CHARLES "CHUCK" EUGENE, 83
BERNS, CHARLES "CHUCK" EUGENE, 83, of Montpelier, died November 20 at his home, surrounded by his loving family. He was born on Jan. 14, 1929, in Ann Arbor, Mich., the son of Martha Berns. As a youngster, he left home at the age of 13 and supported himself working as a pressman at a tailor shop, short-order cook, on an assembly line when the second World War started. Charles joined the Army Air Corps in January of 1947, at Selfridge Field in Michigan, and was discharged 15 years and 10 days later at the Amarillo Air Force Base in Amarillo, Texas. He then moved to Essex Junction. There he worked for the Air National Guard as a technician for five years and retired from the Air Force, and returned to Texas. There he worked for Ling-Tempco-Vought as a Mears program supervisor. While there he joined the Navy and was a quality control inspector for three years. During his years in the service, he has been stationed in Texas, New Mexico, Mississippi, Illinois, Germany, England, Okinawa and Kansas. He attended B-29 Aircraft and Engine School, Instrument and Auto-Pilot School, Gunnery School, Air to Air Refueling School, B-47 School, F-100 School and AFM 66-1 School. He has been an aircraft mechanic, a gunner on B-29s during the Korean War, a maintenance supervisor, an AR&R supervisor, quality control inspector, and a refueling operator on B-29 tankers. He has been rated in single- and dual-engine aircraft and helicopter as a rated pilot and has a commercial rating in single-engine aircraft, and a qualified instrument pilot. His total service time was 30 years and 15 days. On July 4, 1981, he married Deanna Hedges in Calais. He was a past commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 792, the Montpelier Elks Club, The American Legion Post 3. In the picture above, Charles is wearing a medal of appreciation from the South Korean War Veterans by Consul-General Park, Kangho of Boston on Oct. 29, 2011. He is survived by his wife of 31 years, Deanna Berns; his children Steven, James, John and Sheri; 13 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his children Anna May, Vicki and Scott.
[ back ]
