94-year-old Veteran honored for accomplishments

NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. (WTVQ) -The Military Freedom Fest honored more than 50 veterans who served in America’s Armed Forces, and it’s not just America that was grateful for one Veteran’s service.

He helped liberate Paris and France honored Kentucky native and EKU grad Charles Wilson by giving him its highest honor, the French Legion of Honor.

“My 18th year birthday, I can’t figure out how in the world we got all that done. We trained, went to war, traveled, England five days and went on an invasion and then traveled to Paris and we liberated Paris France on my 19th birthday, how we got all that done, I will never know.”

This isn’t his first honor. The 94-year-old WWII Veteran has been honored by state legislatures and was even given the key to the city of Carlisle, his hometown.

“The Military was a chance for a guy from a little town in Eastern Kentucky to see the world. He can do anything, there’s no quit, it’s just incredible.”

He says he almost died during the war, but he says he kept on pushing.

“But I did live, from my injuries. I was buried, unconscious and bleeding and one of the guys came up, he knew we had been shelled. ”

Wilson was the six-thousandth Veteran honored by the Military Freedom Fest Organization.

“He’s incredible and over the years he would do anything for anyone and I think he would still do anything for anyone if you just ask him.”