Technician Fifth Class Charlie Robert Little was born on 12 January 1902 in Catawba, North Carolina. He was the son of George Pinkey Alonzo Little and Minnie Amelia Gilleland. He was married to Mary Alva Earle. He died non battle on 3 October 1945. According to a newspaper article (see below), his body was found in a lake at Mountain Island Dam, NC. He had served three years in the Army, 20 months of which he spent in the European theater with the Engineers of the First Army. Sgt. Little had been back in the States since July 1945. He was a member of Concord Methodist church of Catawba, and before entering the service, was employed for 22 years by Southern Railway Company in the roadway shops.
His Army Serial Number is 14101211 and, according to www.wwiimemorial.com, he was from Hamilton County, TN, but according to archives.gov, he was born in North Carolina and resided in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina and enlisted in Charlotte, NC.
Apparently, he always resided in Catawba, North Carolina and is buried there (see gravestone below).
The Charlotte Observer, 28 June 1944
When Sergeant Charles R. Little and Petty Officer Glen W. Little met in England recently they talked for seven hours, most of the time sitting on a park bench, then had their picture taken to send to their sister, Mrs. Nell L. Hill of North Graham street, Charlotte, with whom they made their home before volunteering for military service at the same time, October, 1942. Mrs. Hill is a widow. Her husband’s three brothers, who were “just little boys” at the time of her marriage, are overseas too. So is her young sister’s husband, Pvt. Russell Goodson of Kannapolis, and this picture above is, the first likeness any of them has sent back. With Mrs. Hill and her parents, Mr. and Mrs. A.P. Little of Catawba county, it outranks the finest portrait. It represents also, the first meeting between any of the six service men, though two of the Hill brothers are in England. They were trying to locate each other but no word has come from them since D-Day. The last two fo Mrs. Hill’s six servicemen are in the South Pacific. Sgt. Bill W. Hill and Pvt. Goodson. They, too, have been trying to see each other but just as they are within visiting distance, one is moved, so they have not yet met. Before he entered the Army, Sgt. Charles Little was employed by the Rodaway Machine Company in Charlotte. He is with the Ordnance service, keeping machines in repair. Petty Officer Little was an electrician with the Duke Power company, and is now also in maintenance service. Neither of them, Mrs. Little feels, was in the invasion, because of the nature of their work. Petty Officer Little went to Africa almost immediately after receiving boot training and served there 8 months before being sent to England.
- Rank: Technician Fifth Class
- Date of birth: 12 January 1902
- Date of death: 3 October 1945
- County: Hamilton
- Hometown: Catawba, NC
- Service Branch: Army/Army Air Forces
- Conflict: World War II
- Burial/Memorial Location: Concord United Methodist Church Cemetery, Catawba, Catawba County, North Carolina
- Location In Memorial: Pillar X, Middle Panel
- Contact us to sponsor Charlie R. Little
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