Editor’s Note: This is the second article in a week-long series dedicated to World War II Veterans.

MIDDLESBORO — On a chilly, sunny October day, my mother, siblings and I had the opportunity of a lifetime — to present my father, Charles R. “Charlie” Greene with the medals and ribbons he earned while serving in World War II and Korea — some 60 years after he had earned them.

Anyone who talks with my Dad for five minutes or more will learn three important things about him — his love of his God and family, and his military service.

“I have to say, I was proud to be able to serve my country because it was established as a God fearing nation,” said Greene.

A humble man, my father doesn’t often discuss the hardships and sacrifices he made during his service, instead he mostly talks about the friendships he made and the places he traveled to through his service.

However, it was the hardships and the sacrifices he made in World War II that qualified him for a Bronze Star that was finally awarded to him that bright October day.

So, how did all of this come about without Dad, nor any of his family knowing he was eligible for it? Through a friendship forged by his nephew, Col. Jerry D. Duncan and Middlesboro resident Lt. Col. James Lawson.

Both members of the Army Reserves, but called up to active duty, the two met while serving in Baghdad, Iraq. Like my Dad and many of his WW II and Korean War buddies, the two remain in contact. In one of his e-mails with Jerry, Lt. Col, Lawson, who just also happens to know my Dad, asked Jerry if he thought Dad was eligible for the award.

The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. When awarded for bravery, it is the fourth-highest combat award of the U.S. Armed Forces and the ninth highest military award (including both combat and non-combat awards) in the order of precedence of U.S. military decorations.

It may be awarded to members of the U.S. Armed Forces who, after December 6, 1941, were cited in orders or awarded a certificate for exemplary conduct in ground combat against an armed enemy after December 7, 1941. For this purpose, an award of the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) or Combat Medical Badge is considered as a citation in orders.

Although Jerry had talked often with Dad about his service, he wasn’t sure if he would qualify for it, so he began researching his service record. Through that research, he found that Dad had indeed been awarded the CIB.

“The CIB shows that Uncle Charlie was in direct enemy combat as an infantry soldier. His campaign ribbon from WW II (European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three Bronze Stars) shows that he fought in three major campaigns. How he made it through is unbelievable. To survive was a great accomplishment of skill, plain luck and God’s grace,” said Jerry.

Dad served as a heavy mortar crewman with Company M of the 362nd Infantry Regiment of the 91st Infantry Division and was stationed in Italy in the Po Valley, North Appenines, Rome and Arno. He served in combat duty there from June 9, 1944 (which incidentally was his 20th birthday) to September 10, 1945.

So on that sunny, chilly day in October at our annual family reunion, Jerry had the honor of conducting an official military — and surprise —ceremony to award Dad with the Bronze Star, along with a complete set of medals he so richly deserved for his honorable service in the United States Army.

“Uncle Charlie and Uncle Johnnie have always been people that I admired and looked up to when I was just a young kid. The stories they told were always interesting and fascinating. After going into the military, I always measured myself after them. To say the least, there were times I wanted to quit, but it was my memories of them and what they had done that inspired me,” said Jerry.

While serving in Korea this past year, Jerry was able to visit many of the areas where Dad served, and he was greatly impacted by it.

“Conditions there are awful. My heart broke over the hardships and sacrifices that Uncle Charlie had given that no one really knew about. He has and will always be a hero to me and I am just thankful this country has had people like him. This [the awards ceremony] was also my last official duty as a military officer before retiring. To be able to present someone like Uncle Charlie awards that he never received, and to recognize his many years of dedicated service was an honor.”

Needless to say Daddy was not only surprised by the honors bestowed on him, but deeply humled and honored as well.

“It was a great big surprise,” said Dad after the ceremony. “I didn’t know that I had earned all these medals. I am thankful Jerry cared enough about me and my service to do this for me. I love my country, and was thankful for the opportunity to serve it.”

And through Jerry’s hard work, we — my Mom Juanita, my brothers Chuck, Steve and Jeff, my sisters Beverly and Cathy, and myself — had the incredible and rare opportunity of taking part in that ceremony by presenting Dad with those medals.

As a family, we are so grateful to Jerry and these two men for the opportunity to do so, because without them, we would never have known that Dad was eligible for so many medals, nor would we have known how to go about getting them for him, much less how to arrange such a touching ceremony.

“I hope that today, SFC Charles Greene has a great Veterans’ Day,” Jerry said, speaking for so many Americans, “and I want to publicly thank him for his sacrificial, dedicated and devoted service.”

Contact Middlesboro Daily News Lifestyles Editor Donna Greene via e-mail at dgreene@middlesborodailynews.com.