Charles Elmer Haney was born on 5 September 1916 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to Senter Haney and Willie Irene McAffrey. He had one sister, Louise Haney. At the time of his death he resided in Nutley, New Jersey. He died of his injuries as a result of a plane crash at USMCAS, Cherry Point in Craven County, North Carolina. He was interred in the Andrew Johnson National Cemetery, Greeneville, Greeneville County, Tennessee, Section C, Grave no. 111. His father was interred on the same date in Section C, Grave 112.
Sergeant
3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, Marine Air Group, Headquarters Squadron
The Knoxville News-Sentinel, 30 January 1944
A boy’s request to be buried beside his father, even though he hardly knew him, resulted in a re-interment and a burial of unusual circumstances in Greeneville. The father, Senter Haney, was killed in France During World War I, and the son, Sgt. Charles Elmer Haney, was killed Jan. 19, in a plane crash at Cherry Point, N.C., where he was stationed in the Headquarters Squadron, Marine Air Group, Third Marine Aircraft Wing. He was trying to land his plane in the fog and thought he was on the runway but was actually on the rifle range. He and the other occupant of the plane were instantly killed. About a week before he was killed, Sgt. Haney had a close call in an accident and at that time wrote his mother, Mrs. Irene Haney, if he did not survive this war he wanted to be buried beside his father.
Sgt. Haney was 18 months old when his mother took him to see his father in camp before he went to France. The daughter was born after her father reached the other side but he wrote her mother asking that she be named Louise. Senter Haney was gassed and died later in a hospital in LeMans, France, Feb. 18, 1919. During his last hour, he told the chaplain all was well except he was worried because he was leaving his wife with two babies to bring up. It is odd that father and son were both 27 when they made the supreme sacrifice for their country. No requests for burial in the Andrew Johnson Cemetery have been granted since the Department of Interior took it over as a National Park in 1942, But Mrs. Haney was granted a permit in 1936 for the burial of her husband. Because of this permit and her son’s request, Supt. James W. Holland was able to get permission from the authorities in Washington and Chicago for the boy to be buried in the Andrew Johnson Cemetery beside his father. The father’s body remained in France for a year after he died and then because Mr. and Mrs. Haney had spent most of their lives here, she brought him back to Greeneville and buried him at the River Hill Cemetery. His body was disinterred and the son’s body was brought here accompanied by Lt. Bryan E. Sullivan, so that father and son, heroes of World War I and II could be buried side by side. The funeral was preached by Rev. M.C. Weikel, pastor of the First Methodist Church, with the American Legion Post officiating.
Sgt. Haney and his sister, Miss Louise Haney, attended Knoxville High School where he was graduated in June, 1935, a captain in the ROTC. He was always so proud that his father’s name was on the monument in front of the High School building. Miss Louise Haney has always wanted to join the Marines and now that her brother is gone, she says she feels that she must join to carry on for her patriotic father and brother. She expect to join as soon as she can get a release from the war plant near Nutley, N.J., where she and her mother are employed. Sgt. Haney gave his mother a canary for Christmas and when she asked him to name i the called it “Semper Fidelis,” The Marine Corps motto “Always Faithful.”
- Rank: Sergeant
- Date of birth: 5 September 1916
- Date of death: 19 January 1944
- County: Greene
- Hometown: Greeneville
- Service Branch: Army/Army Air Forces
- Division/Assignment: 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, Marine Air Group
- Conflict: World War II
- Burial/Memorial Location: Andrew Johnson National Cemetery, Greeneville, TN
- Location In Memorial: Pillar IX, Bottom Panel
- Contact us to sponsor Charles E. Haney
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