OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — As Veterans Day approaches and Native American Heritage Month continues, Gilbert “Choc” Charleston stands as a living testament to courage, resilience and the proud tradition of Native American military service.
At 101 years old, Charleston’s memory remains sharp as he recalls his three years serving as a tank driver in the 739th Tank Battalion during World War II. He enlisted in February 1943 at just 18 years old and spent the war controlling a 33,000-pound machine across the battlefields of Europe.
“I was a tank driver for three years, and if I had to do it over again, I’d want to do the same thing,” Charleston said. “Because I love to be in control of that big tank. When it moved, everybody moved.”…