Last WWII Veteran ‘Choc’ Charleston Dies at 101 on Thanksgiving

A century of history fades with the last survivor of his WWII unit. His journey—from 1920s Charleston to Europe’s battlefields—now lives only in memory.

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2025 December 1 . 10:03 PM

1 min read

In the image there is a book with army tank and jeeps on it, it seems like a war along with a text... — In the image there is a book with army tank and jeeps on it, it seems like a war along with a text above it.

Last WWII Veteran ‘Choc’ Charleston Dies at 101 on Thanksgiving

Gilbert 'Choc' Charleston, a 101-year-old World War II veteran from South Carolina, has died on Thanksgiving Day. He was the last surviving member of his unit and would have turned 102 later this month. His passing marks the end of an era for those who served in some of the war’s fiercest battles.

Born in 1923 in Charleston, SC, he earned his nickname as a newborn. Decades later, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving as a tank driver during the war. Though records do not confirm his exact unit, he fought in key battles, including the brutal Battle of the Bulge.

Charleston’s death leaves one less voice from a defining chapter in history. His life spanned over a century, from a childhood in the 1920s to a final return to Europe in 2024. His story now rests in the hands of those who remember him.