Spotlight: CW3 Charles A. Ferber, U.S. Army (Ret.)

By Rachel Doran, Retirement Services Officer, Stuttgart, Germany      August 2025

Born in 1922 in Greenwich, Conn., Charles “Charlie” Ferber enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1943, embarking on a career that took him from the battlefields of World War II to the skies over Korea and Vietnam. He served through some of the most defining moments in military aviation history, logging over 10,000 flight hours in both fixed-wing and rotary aircraft.

During World War II, Charlie fought in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy, enduring intense combat. He was wounded during Operation Shingle at Anzio, earning his first Purple Heart for his sacrifice and bravery. Charlie was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the infantry on May 16, 1945, a testament to his leadership and dedication.

Following the war, he trained as a paratrooper before transitioning to aviation. In Korea, Charlie flew 143 combat missions in support of troops on the front lines, navigating some of the most dangerous conditions imaginable. Once again, he was wounded in combat, earning his second Purple Heart.

After his service in Korea, Charlie transitioned to civilian aviation, becoming a bush pilot in Canada and Alaska from 1953 to 1963. Flying in some of the harshest conditions over remote landscapes, he mastered navigation and survival in extreme environments, supporting industry operations in the Arctic Circle. His years as a bush pilot only enhanced his capabilities, preparing him for a return to military aviation in 1964, where he resumed flying combat and reconnaissance missions during the Vietnam War.

Beyond his military career, Charlie was also an artist and photographer, capturing the faces of his fellow Soldiers and the landscapes of war, he spent his retirement years writing in his personal journals about the photographs he had taken over the years in the military, and his sketches preserved moments in history—stories of courage, hardship, and brotherhood.