Profiles: WWII Era:

Charles J. McCann


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Credit: Courtesy of Charles J. McCann.

Charles J. McCann enlisted in the Army Air Corps upon graduating from high school in 1941, and he served as a fighter pilot in North Africa and Italy. After the war, he enrolled at NC State and secured housing in Vetville for himself and his young family. He credits both the GI Bill and his wife, Beverly, for putting him through school. McCann earned a B.S. in engineering from NC State in 1949 and pursued a managerial career at the Ford Motor Company.

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Credit: Courtesy of Charles J. McCann.

Charlie and Beverly McCann.

Beverly McCann worked for NC State's athletic director, Roy B. Clogston.

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Credit: Courtesy of Charles J. McCann.

McCann holds his first son, Charlie Jr., or "Mac."

"My father was in business for himself when The Depression hit and of course he lost that and any savings he had. . . . My father was from a poor Irish family, living in Philadelphia, and they didn't offer [the GI Bill] after World War One. . . . I'm sure he would have taken it up. But it was a golden opportunity for me to get an education."

– Charles J. McCann.

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Credit: Courtesy of Charles J. McCann.

Neighborhood nursery.

Playpens were a common sight in Vetville: Here "Mac" (center) makes friends with his neighbors Kit Atwood and Susan Connel.

 

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