Charles F. Aldinger, Jr.

Photo courtesy of Steven Aldinger.

Charles Aldinger was born in Manayunk, Philadelphia, in 1926. He was the oldest of Margaret and Charles Senior’s six children, and grew up in a small stone house on Dupont Street.

Aldinger was inducted into the Corps in the early summer of 1944. He trained at Parris Island before joining the 30th Replacement Draft, based in California. His next stop was the Pacific Theater; his introduction to combat was the invasion of Iwo Jima. After spending several days unloading supplies and dodging bullets on Iwo’s beaches, Private Aldinger was assigned to Baker Company, 24th Marines on February 24, 1945. He spent the next four days in the comparative safety of regimental reserve, then two in battalion reserve as dozens of casualties – some from his own replacement draft – streamed back from a series of failed assaults.

Aldinger hit the front lines on March 3; for the following two weeks, he fought in some of the fiercest actions in Marine Corps history. Amazingly, he came through the battle unwounded, and even distinguished himself in action. Aldinger arrived at Camp Maui in early April 1945; on the 14th, he was informed that he had been recommended for the Bronze Star medal. A more immediate gratification came on April 23 – a promotion to Private First Class, which meant a stripe on his sleeve and an increase in his monthly pay.

Aldinger continued to train with the company until the war ended. His battalion disbanded in October, 1945, and PFC Aldinger spent the last months of this enlistment as a clerk with the 17th Service Battalion, based in Hawaii. He was discharged in May, 1946, and returned to Philadelphia.

Little else is known of Aldinger’s life after the war, though he did raise a family before his death in 1990.