"We are here to remember and honor a hometown hero...a young man of just 31 who, from his high school days, just wanted to serve his country."
--The Honorable Susan M. Livingston, Under Secretary of the Navy at the dedication of a memorial to Lt. Charles R. Ware in Athens, Tennessee, on June 8, 2002.
Help support the McMinn County Living Museum and its effort to preserve, protect, and present the history of the USS Charles R. Ware today! Become a member of the Waremen's Club, or donate an artifact the the Museum.
Lieutenant Charles Rollins Ware, U.S. Navy, was a naval aviator who, as a pilot of a scout Bomber, gave his life in the Battle of Midway on June 4, 1942. He was awarded the Navy Cross, the nation's second highest military honor, for his courage and devotion to duty in actions against enemy forces.
In April 1945, Lt. Ware was honored again by having a Gearing Class destroyer named after him that would serve America for 29 years.
"We are here to remember and honor a hometown hero...a young man of just 31 who, from his high school days, just wanted to serve his country."