Charles V. Wilson was born on Feb. 27, 1919 in Brookings, South Dakota. Charles Wilson's military career started as a private in Company B, 109th Combat Engineer Regiment, South Dakota National Guard, where he served for two and a half years and was discharged as a corporal. After graduating from South Dakota State College (Bachelor of Science, electrical engineering, June 1940), Wilson was appointed a second lieutenant, Engineering Branch, in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps and on July 1, 1940 was commissioned in the regular Army as a second lieutenant in the infantry.
During World War II, Maj. Gen. Wilson served in Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, participated in the invasion of Kwajalein, Marshall Islands, served with XIX Corps during the Normandy Invasion, and in December 1944 returned to Washington, D.C. for assignment to the ACofS, G-1 Personnel, War Department General Staff. Following World War II, Wilson attended the University of Pennsylvania, obtaining his Master's Degree in electronics in 1948, served three years with a U.S. Army Test Board at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and in 1951 went to Korea where he commanded the 1st battalion, 27th Infantry "Wolfhound" Regiment. Upon his return to the U.S., he attended the Armed Forces Staff College at Norfolk, Virginia. He was the assigned to the Office of the Deputy Cheif of Staff for Military Operation, Department of the Army, Washington, D.C. In 1956, he attended the U.S. Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, and then went to Headquarters, United States Continental Army Command, Fort Monroe, Virginia. Wilson was reassigned to the Panama Canal Zone in April 1960 where he commanded the 2nd Battle Group, 10th Infantry, until July 1961, when he became ACofS, G3, Operations, for the U.S. Army Caribbean at Fort Amador. Wilson then reported to MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, in June 1963 where he served as Director of Operations, J3, Headquarters United States Strike Command. Wilson became the assistant division commander of the 5th Infantry Division at Ft. Carson, Colorado in Aug. 1965, and in January 1966 was reassigned to the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Military Operations, Department of the Army, Washington, D.C.
Wilson retired in 1968. Citations and decorations include:
- Legion of Merit (Two Oak Leaf Clusters)
- Bronze Star Medal (Two Oak Leaf Clusters)
- Army Commendation Medal
- American Defense Medal
- Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with Two Campaign Stars
- Europe, Africa, Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with Three Campaign Stars
- American Campaign Medal
- World War II Victory Medal
- Croix de Guerre with Palm (Belgium)
- Croix de Guerre with Palm (France)
- Korean Service Medal with Three Campaign Stars
- United Nations Service Medal
- National Defense Medal
- War Department General Staff Identification Badge
- Combat Infantry Badge