Born in 1919, Claude grew up on a farm in Iredell County, in the little town of Scotts. Claude was next to last of eight children born to Will and Myrtle Reynolds. Will was a proud man, stubborn some might say (a trait, as you may know, that was passed on to Claude, his children, and grandchildren). As the Great Depression lingered, Will would not leave the farm nor change his plans to build a large homeplace. Will never finished the home where the family lived, which had no running water or electricity. There were Christmases when the only presents were puzzles the parents made for the children by twisting nails together, but the family was strong. Myrtle, the tenderest of mothers and the best cook in the county, nurtured the family while Will demanded hard work, both in the fields and in the classroom. Education was important on the Reynolds farm. Will was the chairman of the school board and led the meetings in his overalls while Myrtle oversaw lessons at home.

Claude's mother died when he was fifteen, and not long after, he and his father were alone on the farm. One day, Claude overheard one of his brothers telling Will that Claude was too smart to stay home, and Will told his son that he could leave. Claude mulled over his options. The six Reynolds boys were excellent athletes (with egos to match), and Claude decided he'd try to get a football scholarship and go to college. Mind you, he'd never seen a game of football, but he picked Reidsville as his new home, where he heard there was a good football team. Claude thought he needed a new name to start his new life, so he wrote "Chuck" on his sweatshirt and headed to Reidsville. "Chuck" he was for the rest of his life.

Reidsville held more than football for Chuck. There he found the love of his life, little Genie McDonald. Chuck flirted with all the beautiful McDonald women - Hilda, Anna Clark, and their mother, Lillie - but his heart always belonged to his beautiful Genie.

Sure enough, Chuck was a gifted football player. He started as a running guard, played on the state championship football team, and starred in the first North Carolina/South Carolina Shrine Bowl. From numerous scholarship offers, he chose Clemson, drawn by Coach Jess Nealy and the warm faculty and students he found there. Coach Nealy left Clemson in 1939, and Chuck played on the first Frank Howard team in 1940. Off the field Chuck excelled in the classroom and was second in his class academically.

As America's participation in World War II approached, Chuck decided that he had to leave Clemson and prepare for a role in that epic battle. He joined the Navy, trained at Pensacola, and earned his wings. A natural pilot, Chuck began training other pilots and eventually began training other flight instructors. He left Pensacola for his assignment in the south Pacific, and just as he had done as a student and football star at Clemson, Chuck distinguished himself. He became squadron leader of a team of Navy pilots flying hellcats, corsairs, and other fighter planes off aircraft carriers in the south Pacific. He was shot down by enemy air power near an island off the coast of Japan and survived in a raft for twenty-four hours. Thoughts of Genie and the son Claude he had seen only twice kept him going until rescue. He declined the offer to remain on a hospital ship, returned to his carrier, and continued flying. Before his duty ended, Chuck flew over eighty missions in combat and in aerial photography. The Navy awarded him the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal (two stars), the Asiatic Pacific Theater Ribbon, the American Defense Ribbon, the American Theater Ribbon, and the World War II Victory Medal.

After the war, he settled with Genie in Lexington, North Carolina, where he was a sales manager for Coble Dairy. While in Lexington, he and other members of the Sertoma Club brought little league baseball to the city, and Chuck coached one of the first teams. Active in the community, he served as president of the Cecil Elementary P.T.A., president of the Lexington Golf Association, and president of the Sertoma Club. An officer of the Davidson County Democratic Party, Chuck was an early supporter of John F. Kennedy, and Chuck's work with the party earned him a ticket to President Kennedy's inauguration. Chuck retired from Coble Dairy as a division manager in Goldsboro and was inducted as an honorary member of the North Carolina Dairy Association.

For his family, Chuck's story represents the best of America. No one was more of a patriot. At a recent Clemson football game, hurting with a back that was giving out and with the illness that would take him, Chuck had a special seat on the sidelines during a tribute to him in the pre-game show. The band started playing the national anthem, and since the day had taxed him physically, we told Chuck to stay seated. Shaking his head, he responded, "I don't sit during the national anthem," and he struggled to his feet.

And yes, Chuck pulled himself up by his bootstraps, but the experience only heightened his compassion for others. He responded to the challenges of the Depression and the horrors of war with abiding gratitude for the family, friends, government, and God that he felt gave him so much. Chuck believed that the generosity that guided his personal life should also inspire our government. He counted himself among the luckiest of men, most especially for Genie, his wife of sixty-two years, and for his wonderful children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. We count ourselves as the most fortunate of families to have known and loved him.

Chuck's letter to Genie as World War II came to an end, May 1945:

Suppose you're wondering why I'm here-- able to see Grenzow. Well, we stopped by after a run. Came back for - - - - necessities. Will be unable to receive mail again after tomorrow and then for a long time. This time it's the works - - . Don't worry though darling. Everything is fine and will continue to be so. Just wanted you to know that I'm okay in case you didn't hear for some time. I know you'll take everything in stride as you have before and not worry about me. Hell, I'm as safe as if I were home. All that we have to think about is the time between now and the day we're together again. That is the day I'm looking forward to-- the day I'm working and fighting for. That's something to fight for.