We have affectionately coined the name, “Team Hunter” for the group of committed historians, archivists, and curators around the country who have tirelessly searched for & provided vital information about Chuck Hunter’s life. There are no words to express our love and appreciation for each and every one of them.
“Chuck is one of the forgotten fallen: a serviceman dying in a plane crash just after victory; an event that barely warranted a mention after the horrors of war. Then, when his story had almost fallen through the cracks of time, it was rescued by Karen Nudelman, and an amazing team of people that brought his story to light. The Roosevelt Library was proud to be part of that team.”
-Roosevelt Library archivist, William Baehr, Hyde Park, New York
“The Tillamook County Pioneer Museum has been happy to help Karen in her journey to find the story- behind-the-story of Chuck Hunter. Many people in our Tillamook community have gotten involved and are assisting Karen and Kim in their efforts to learn as much about the kind of man Chuck was before he went to war. It is a noble undertaking and will help us all understand more about what effect a war can have on those who are left on the home front.”
– Carla Albright, Experiences Director, Tillamook County PioneerMuseum, Tillamook, Oregon
“The Hunter project gives us a chance to show what one individual and his family did in WW2. Everyone knows about the big stories; Doolittle, D-Day, the Atomic bomb, etc, etc. But the war was a bunch of little guys doing their part, however routine and common, equally important in helping our way to victory. This is why I feel privileged to help out.”
-Ron Fleishman , curator at the Commemorative Air Force Museum – Southern California Wing.
“I think Chuck’s story is unique and worth telling because his story represents many of the unheard voice of Army Air Force personnel that contributed to the victory in the Pacific. His story is not glamorous, but without the men and aircraft of the Troop Carrier Squadrons the war in the Pacific would have been much more complicated and difficult.”
– James M. Cloninger Jr., PhD, Air Force Historical Research Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
Where it all began! Chuck’s letters were auctioned off on http://www.shopgoodwill.com, but originated at the Goodwill Industries of Columbia-Willamette (GICW) E-Commerce Operations Manager Joshua Peterson takes Karen & Kim on a tour of the facilities at GICW.