CAPT Charles Peterson Clark

Familial History

CAPT Charles Peterson Clark was born 27 November 1914 in Flagstaff, Coconino County, Arizona to Mary Augusta Peterson and Charles Asa Clark. He died 20 February 1942 when his Vultee Vengeance #O-49 crashed at Hoquiam, Grays Harbor, Washington.

The family had moved from Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon, Coconino County, Arizona in 1930. In 1940, they were residing at 421 Tyler Street, Tempe. Maricopa County, Arizona.

Mary Augusta Peterson was born 5 November 1889 in Garfield, Sioux Township, Iowa to Dorothea Wiebers and Hans Christian Petersen. She died 25 December 1951 in Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona.

Charles Asa Clark was born 27 October 1888 in Concord, Merrimack County, New Hampshire to Rosselyn Nutter and Asa D. Clark. He died 9 May 1950 in Phoenix, and he had been an automotive mechanic by trade.

Charles’ brother was Captain Carter Amil Clark. Sr. who was born 16 October 1918 in Flagstaff. He died 11 September 1981 in Phoenix and was buried in the Greenwood Memory Lawn Cemetery. The Plot was Section 39 and the Memorial #68876380. He entered marriage with Mildred Cordelia Corder on 1 March 1945 in Bennettsville, North Carolina. They had 1 daughter and 2 sons. He served his country in the US Army, 558th Infantry, during World War II.

Service History:

CAPT Charles Peterson Clark registered for the draft 16 October 1940 in Tempe, Arizona. His height was listed as 5’10” and his weight at 170 pounds. His mother, Mary P. Clark signed as next of kin.

He was assigned to flight training school in Tacoma, Washington. His Service Number O-421047.

The Tacoma News Tribune reported 22 February 1942, that he was piloting the plane that crashed. 1LT Rudolph “Rudy” John Binder (O-375557) of El Segundo, California was the observer. The flight was part of Clark’s routine training when the ship plunged into the ocean hitting a sand spit. The crash site was one quarter of a mile off the Hoquiam fish docks. He died 20 February 1942 when his Vultee O-49 crashed at Hoquiam, Grays Harbor, Washington.

CAPT Charles Peterson Clark was buried in the Greenwood Memory Lawn Cemetery. Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona. The Plot was Section 39 and the Memorial #68876436.

Stories Behind the Stars:

Thank you, CAPT Charles Peterson Clark of the US Army Air Corps, for your sacrifice and service to our country.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars Project (see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII Fallen here on Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smartphone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen’ s name and read his/her story.

If you noticed anything missing in this profile, you can contact the author. Click on the author’s name located at the bottom of the story page next to the words “added by”.

The author was Dr. Jack W. Chisum, and the email is jchisum@q.com

Resources:

U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current - AncestryInstitution.com

Vultee Aircraft - Wikipedia

Charles P Clark