Seaman 1st Class Charles Christakes, U.S. Navy, was born on October 1, 1920, the son of Theodore and Agnes Christakes. Charles lived at 2 Garfield Street with his parents, three sisters and one brother.
Charles graduated from Franklin High School in 1938 and then attended Dean Academy. Charles was an outstanding athlete and played semi-pro baseball and football in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.
Seaman 1st Class Charles Christakes served aboard the U.S.S. Hugh W. Hadley which was involved in a vicious attack of Japanese Kamikaze suicide planes. In a 95 minute attack, the Hadley shot down 23 enemy planes, more than any ship in any one engagement in Navy history, before or since. Thirty-one members of the crew perished and 116 others wounded. On May 11, 1945 in this Battle of Okinawa in the Pacific, Gunner Charles Christakes, when wounded went below for treatment. He then went back up to man the guns when he was killed. For his action, Seaman 1st Class Charles Christakes was awarded the Silver Star.
Seaman 1st Class Charles Christakes was 24 at the time of his death on May 11, 1945 aboard the U.S.S. Hadley.
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| Fallen Hero: Christakes |
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