In the annals of the Second World War, a resounding figure emerged, etching his legacy through audacious feats and indomitable spirit. Major Charles Carpenter, a name forever intertwined with valor and innovation, garnered international attention for his ingenious adaptation of six bazookas onto his modest Piper L-4 observation aircraft. The exploits of this remarkable figure, affectionately dubbed "Bazooka Charlie," and his airborne companion "Rosie the Rocketer," resonated across military and civilian spheres, securing their place in history''s annals, notably enshrined within the pages of the venerable Stars & Stripes publication.
The major was a high school educator in the civilian world, teaching history and coaching football. Carpenter was talented, highly intelligent, and athletically gifted, but the war truly tested him. In 1945, the dashing pilot was forced out of the cockpit and into a hospital bed by Hodgkin-s lymphoma, which was discovered in his neck.
