Charles Battle Churchill

Charles B. Churchill, 84, of 101 Higbee Street passed away on March 19 at Hock Family Pavilion. He was a native of Johnston County. Charles, orphaned at an early age, was adopted and raised by his maternal grandparents, Georgiana and Daniel Poole. The family moved to Durham in 1940 upon his grandparents’ retirement. Charles enlisted in the Navy at the age of 17 ½ years old and served in the south Pacific aboard the amphibious personnel destroyer, APD 34, USS Belknap carrying underwater demolition teams. The Belknap participated in the October, 1944 invasion of Leyete, Philippine Islands and in the 1945 invasion at Lingayen Gulf, where the Belknap was severely damaged by Japanese suicide aircraft to the extent it was towed to Manus in the Admiralty Islands where it was repaired sufficiently to return to the states where it was decommissioned. After serving in the Navy, Charles then enlisted in the Army in 1948. He was assigned to duty with the 82nd Airborne Division Parachute Maintenance Company (PMCO) at Fort Bragg, N.C. He completed Parachute Jump School and Parachute Rigger School at Fort Benning, Ga. in 1948. In 1951 he was selected as cadre for the Quartermaster Parachute Pack, Maintenance, and Air Delivery course at Fort Lee, Va., serving as noncommissioned officer (NCOIC) of the Maintenance Phase in 1952-1953. He served with the 623rd Air Equipment Repair Company and the 109th Aerial Re-supply Company in Vietnam as a platoon leader from October, 1968 until October, 1969. When he returned from Vietnam he served with the 10th Special Forces Group as a parachute maintenance officer. He was a master parachutist, qualified glider man, and a parachute rigger throughout his military career. He also was awarded the Ecuadorian Master Parachute Badge. Other duty stations included Germany, Columbus, Ohio, Yuma, Arizona, Panama Canal Zone, and Fort Devens, Massachusetts. He retired from the Army in June, 1970 as a Chief Warrant Officer, CW3. After retirement from the Army, he was employed by Durham Drapery as a supervisor and plant manager. He was a faithful member of Durham Memorial Baptist Church and Wayside Baptist Church. Charles was preceded in death by his wife of 56 years Margaret Parker Churchill, a sister, Betty Hall of Pasadena, Texas, and a brother, William Haywood Johnson of McCall, South Carolina. He is survived by two sons, Kurt (Diane) and Reid (Debbie), two daughters, Judy Johnson (John) and Debra Young (Jim), ten grandchildren, and three great grandchildren. A military funeral is to be held on Tuesday, March 22 at 2:00 at Wayside Baptist Church in Hillsborough, N.C. Visitation will be on Monday, March 21 from 6:00 – 8:00 PM at Hudson Funeral Home. Services will be conducted by Pastor Brad Williams and Dr. Gerald C. Goodwin. Pallbearers will be Adam Churchill, Jeffrey Churchill, Jeremy Churchill, Jerry Medlin, David Moseley, Eddie Thomas, Mike Woods, and Bryan Young Honorary pallbearers will be Willie B. Harris, Vernon Hughes, James Kovach, Gerald Williams, and Charles Williford. Flowers are acceptable. Any donations may be made to Wayside Baptist Church, US70A/70A East, Hillsborough, N.C. 27278.