Charles Rogers joined the U.S. Army in December 1941, right after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Trained as an artillery officer, Rogers would become a “grasshopper pilot” with the 44th Infantry Division, 7th Army, in France, Germany and Austria. In this capacity, Rogers would fly a Piper Cub into enemy territory with an observer to report on troop movements, location of armaments, etc. Rogers flew about 120 missions, and was under near-constant enemy attack. Rogers’ medals and commendations include the Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters.