Charles Tavel Pickard was born on 15 August 1921 in Humboldt, Tennessee to James Tavel and Susie Petty Pickard. He was their 3rd born; Mary Ruth (died when she was 18 months) and Frank were older. His parents divorced and the death of his mother followed in 1930. Charles’ father, Tavel remarried (Layzelle Cunningham) in 1928 and to this union were born 7 children; James Lenard (died as an infant), Jean, Peggy, Thomas, Martha, Robert and Mary.

Charles dropped out of school in the 6th grade but that didn’t stop him from learning. He went on to earn more than one college degree, he had numerous completions of courses that were required by the Army, including Russian language. He married Ruby Catherine Wirsching on 21 December 1940. The couple had 4 daughters, Patricia, Dawn, Karen and Beth. He loved to fish, work on cars (he could repair anything) and did electrical work. After joining the Navy, Charles struggled with alcoholism (he didn’t even drink prior to the Navy) for the next 30 years.

Charles joined the Navy in January 1943. According to his draft card, he was 5’8 ½” tall, weighed 150 pounds, had blue eyes and dark brown hair. He served for four years on the NSS Schmitt during World War II.

Once he finished his tour with the Navy, Charles returned home to his family in Tennessee and started his own cab company. One day with his family in tow (his wife, young daughter, mother-in-law and sister-in-law) a car intentionally hit them head on. Charles and Ruby each had broken legs and Laura, Ruby’s mother, had at least 27 broken bones. The insurance company filed for bankruptcy instead of paying the claim leaving the family to start all over. At this point, Charles tried to re-enlist in the Navy but they wouldn’t let him pick up where he left off at the end of his four year service so he made the decision to join the US Army.

Charles joined the US Army in 1946 or 1947 and began a career that expanded over 20 plus years. The Army took the family to Germany in the 1950’s for 3 years and when they returned to the United States, he was stationed at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, where he was involved with the testing of the atomic bomb. He was sent to Fort Benning, Georgia for a while and then to Korea. When he retired in 1967, the family settled in Alamogordo and La Luz, New Mexico.

After his retirement from the US Army, Charles worked for LandAir at Holloman AFB until 1974. In 1975 Charles and Ruby along with their youngest daughter, Beth packed up and moved to Oklahoma City where he attained employment with Civil Service at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. He retired from there shortly before being diagnosed with lung cancer.

He died on 14 Jan 1992 from lung cancer.

Taken from The Daily Oklahoman:

Charles Tavel Pickard, 70, of Oklahoma City, passed away January 14, 1992. He was born August 15, 1921 in Humboldt, Tenn., to James T. and Susie M. Pickard. He came to Oklahoma City in 1975.

Mr. Pickard was a US Army veteran of WWII and the Korean Conflict. He retired from Tinker AFB. He married Ruby C. Wirsching on December 21, 1940, in Franklin, Ky.

He leaves his wife Ruby, of the home; daughters, Patricia Klukosky of Wyoming, Pa., Dawn Wilson of Moore, Okla., Karen Baker of Tuttle Okla., and Beth Grady of Del City Okla.; 11 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; three brothers; and four sisters.

Services will be Thursday, January 16, 1992, at 10 a.m. in the Bill Eisenhour Southeast Chapel, with burial in Resthaven Cemetery, with Chaplain Colonel Bobby C. Thornton officiating.

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