Charles W. Tyner was reportedly born on June 3, 1920 and was a member of the Coast Guard during World War II.  A photograph of Tyner received wide distribution following the war and shows him as a Fireman First Class examining a jagged shrapnel hole in the helmet he wore in June 1944 during the initial assault on the beaches of Southern France.  Historical records report he came to the beach from a Coast Guard manned assault transport, received only a superficial scratch from the shrapnel that pierced his helmet, and was awarded the Purple Heart Medal for his injuries.  Tyner died on May 22, 1998 and is buried at Oak Grove Cemetery in Medford, Massachusetts, where his memorial marker carries the inscription:  BT1 – US COAST GUARD – WORLD WAR II – PURPLE HEART.

Submitted by CDR Roy A. Mosteller, USNR (Ret)