Funeral for SFC (Retired) Charles Robert Weddington, Sr., 90, Lawton, will be 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 7, 2015 in the Becker-Rabon Funeral Home Chapel Sergeant First Class Weddington died at 10:34 a.m. on Saturday, April 4, 2015, in Lawton, Oklahoma. Burial with full military honors will be at Post Cemetery, Fort Sill. He was born September 27, 1924 in Peoria, Illinois to Howard C. and Sophie H. (Stein) Weddington. Losing his father at an early age (8 years old), he grew up in Peoria with two older siblings, his mother and maternal grandparents. He attended school at Saint Boniface Catholic School (now Saint Mary Catholic Church) in Peoria, Illinois and his first two years of high school at Peoria High School. On December 15, 1941, following in the footsteps of his older brother and sister, he joined the United States Army at the tender age of 17. He was immediately shipped to Camp Wallace, Galveston County, Texas, which was then the training center for anti-aircraft units. He was assigned to Company A, 34th CATB for his initial and advance training. On February 16, 1944, he was assigned to the Asiatic Pacific Theatre of Operation. While assigned to the Pacific Command, then Private First Class Charles Weddington participated in the Battle of Saipan in the Mariana Islands, which was a battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Later he was deployed as a member of the Army Support Forces, and served in combat during the battle of Iwo Jima, Japan, another Pacific Campaign of WWII, where he was a Heavy Artillery Gun Crewman and also acted as an anti-aircraft artillery gunner. He remained in Iwo Jima until his re-assignment to the United States on November 3, 1945. On November 23, 1945 upon his return from the Pacific, he was assigned to the Separation Center at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri for discharge from the United States Army, only to re-enlist the next day. After re-enlisting in the Army, then Corporal Charles R. Weddington, was assigned to Headquarters Sixth Service Command, Chicago, Illinois, to serve as a Recruiting Information Specialist and later as a recruiter for the Chicago Region and served there from March 1946 until March 1949. It was there that he met a young girl from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, named Ethel Jean White and on May 8, 1946 they were married in Chicago Illinois (their Christian marriage was performed on December 21, 1947 in Saint Boniface Catholic Rectory in Peoria, Illinois officiated by Fr. Charles B. Miller). They remained together for the next 65 years, until her death on June 4, 2011. In March 1949 he was assigned to A Battery, 502nd AAA Battalion (120 mm) at Fort Bliss, Texas for Air Defense Artillery training. During his tour of duty with A Battery, 502nd AAA Battalion, he performed duties as Gunner and later as Section Leader responsible for the maintenance, preparation and firing of 120 mm gun. In the same year, the unit was transferred to Fort Ord, California for further training prior to final deployment to Alaska. While as Fort Ord, he was joined by his wife and three children. On April 1950, his unit made their final move to Alaska. His next assignment was to Fort Lewis, Washington where he served in several positions until May 1951 when he received assignment orders to the 2nd Battalion 27th Field Artillery, Camp McCauley, Lentz, Austria. He arrived at his new assignment on July 31, 1951 with his wife and children. While assigned to the 27th Field Artillery, Sergeant First Class Weddington served in different positions from Chief of Firing Battery to First Sergeant to Battalion Operations Sergeant. He remained with 27th Field Artillery until May 1954. In 1952 Sergeant Weddington attended the Tactical command, United States Forces in Austria Non-Commissioned Officers Academy, Camp McCauley, Austria. Sergeant Weddington attained a very high score while at the Academy giving him privilege to graduate number 34 in a class of 142. His Next assignment came on June 1954, once again sergeant First Class Weddington prepared to depart Austria for his new duty station at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Upon arrival at Fort Knox, he was assigned to the 67th Field Artillery Battalion. While at Fort Knox he served in different positions including Battalion Operations Sergeant and First Sergeant for B Battery 67th Field Artillery. He served in these positions for the next twenty months before receiving orders for Germany. On May 20, 1956, he and his family departed for his new duty assignment in Germany. He was assigned to Headquarters Battery 2nd Howitzer Battalion 27th Field Artillery Battalion stationed in Friedberg, Germany. He was the battalion's operations sergeant for 18 months before being assigned as acting first sergeant for B Battery, returning to his initial assignment as battalion operation sergeant nine months later. During his tour in Germany, Sergeant Weddington was highly involved in sports, coaching both football and baseball. Because his extensive knowledge on both of these sports, he was assigned as the A&R NCO for the 3rd Armored Division from 2 September 1958 until May 1960. His next assignment came on May 1960 with assignment to Fort Sill, Oklahoma. While as Fort Sill, he served as the Operations NCO for the Staff and Faculty Battery, United States Army Field Artillery and Missile School. On April 22, 1962, Sergeant Weddington was assigned to Headquarters Battery, 5th Howitzer Battalion, 82nd Artillery in Korea. While there, he filled the position of Operations NCO. On 24 May 1963 he returned to Fort Sill, Oklahoma to fill several positions, including Intelligence NCO for the field Artillery Missile System Evaluation Group, Administrative Supervisor for Staff and Faculty Battery and 2nd Enlisted Student Battery at the Field Artillery School and First Sergeant for 3rd Enlisted Student Battery at the field Artillery School. He remained at Fort Sill with Staff and Faculty Battery, United States Army Field Artillery and Missile School until his retirement from the military on 31 December 1967 after more than 25 years of service. During his military career, he attended several schools: Administrative Specialist School, Recruiter and Career Counselor School and the Non-Commissioned Officer School. His tours of duty includes Camp Wallace, Texas; Saipan, Japan; Iwo Jima, Japan; Chicago, Illinois; Korea; Germany; Camp McCauley, Austria; Fort Bliss, Texas; Alaska; Fort Lewis, Washington; Fort Ord, California; Fort Knox, Kentucky; and Fort Sill, Oklahoma. For his service to the country, he was awarded the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal with two Bronze Stars for his participation in the battles of Saipan and Iwo Jima campaigns, Good Conduct Medal with silver clasp, National Defense Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, American Defense Service Medal, American Theatre Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Army of Occupation Medal with Germany clasp, Army Commendation Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Non Commissioned Officer Development Ribbon, nine (9) Overseas Service Bars, eight (8) Service Stripes, Sharpshooter Badge with M-14 Rifle Bar and Marksman Badge with Carbine Bar and M-1 Rifle Bar. In addition to the above awards and decorations, in 1947 Mr. Weddington was awarded the state of Illinois Service Recognition Certificate for Meritorious Service to the Country and State of Illinois. After retiring from the Army, he worked as a flower delivery driver for Scott's House of Flowers in Lawton, Oklahoma and as a sales clerk for Jiffy Food Stores in Lawton, Oklahoma and finally as a collector and meter reader for ARKLA Gas Company. He remained with ARKLA Gas Company until his retirement on February 15, 1985. During his free time, he was an avid golfer and loved to solve crossword puzzles. He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and Iwo Jima Survivors Association of Texas. His family Military History dates back to the Colonial War. He has five daughters and three sons in law, Cindy Lee and James "Jim" Wisdom, Cache, Oklahoma, Alice Susan and Ricky Garland Ragan, Boone, North Carolina, Cheryl Lynn and Victor M. Nunez, Lawton, Oklahoma, Wendy Louise Arnold, Arlington, Texas, Elizabeth Ann Roby, Arlington Texas; two sons and daughters in law, David John and Terri Weddington, Greenville, Mississippi and Michael Alan and Tanja Noemi Weddington, Elgin, Oklahoma; two nephews, numerous nieces, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife of 65 years Ethel Jean (White) Weddington; both parents, Howard and Sophia Weddington; a sister Valerie Marie (Weddington) McCloud; a brother, Harold Weddington; a son, Charles Robert Weddington, Jr.; a daughter and son in law, Valerie Jean (Weddington) and Henry Bauch; and a niece Patricia Kay McLeod. Memorial contributions may be made to the Lawton Animal Shelter or the Alzheimer Association of Oklahoma.