Charles was born in Orange, California and grew up in Santa Ana, California. After graduating from high school, he served three years in the U.S. Army as a Military Policeman in New Jersey and West Germany from 1974 to 1977. Upon discharge, he started attending Santa Ana College and was employed by the County of Orange as a Deputy Sheriff for four years. He next worked for Security Pacific National Bank in their Corporate Security division until being laid-off due to budget cuts. Changing professions, he became a land surveyor (licensed in the State in 2006), employed by the County of Orange, from which he retired in 2014 as a Senior Land Surveyor with a total of 30 years of public service.

Charles has degrees from Santa Ana College/Rancho Santiago College in Administration of Justice, Business Administration and Surveying & Mapping. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University, Fullerton in Criminal Justice.

Charles currently holds 22 approved lines in the Orange County Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution (SAR). He has 3 approved Mayflower lines (William Brewster, George Soule and James Chilton). He has two direct ancestors who served in the 23rd and 29th Maine Infantry during the Civil War. Charles is also a member of the American Legion.

In 1995 Charles joined the SUVCW’s Sgt. William Pittenger Camp No. 21 in San Diego County, California. He is a charter member of the Gens. Sedgwick-Granger Camp No. 17 in Santa Ana, California, established in 2003.

Charles’ hobbies are locating and documenting the graves of veterans from the different wars buried in Orange County, California – from War of 1812 to the Spanish-American War – and is just getting started on WWI graves. He orders military markers for unmarked veterans’ graves (Mexican War, Civil War and Spanish-American War) discovered during his graves research. He also backpacks during the summer months in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, mainly along the John Muir Trail.