the man

About his life
Charles A Salerno, Jr. was born on November 29th, 1945 at Little Company Mary Hospital in Chicago. Named after his father, Charles senior, he was the second child of four in an apartment on the south side of Chicago. As an adolescent, Charles became interested in art; he drew scenery for elementary school plays. He also began to develop an admiration for his uncle and father's heroics in the World Wars. He collected toy guns, soldiers, and other military collectibles.
	When Charles was 10 years old, his family moved to a quaint little town in the south suburbs of Chicago, South Holland. By now, Charles was already a shining artist and an excellent athlete. In high school, he received many awards for athletic excellence in track & field. In addition, he won numerous local art competitions. As a senior, his artwork made it to the national competition in New York City; his portfolio was one of five chosen from the region.
After graduating from high school, Charles followed his ambition and enrolled in the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts in 1964. Here, he drew, sculpted, and painted many works. Students and faculty deeply admired his artistic ability. However, Charles felt his calling when the Vietnam conflict escalated and decided to join the service in honor of his country and his family. He enlisted in the Marine Corps on March 1, 1966 and after training was assigned to the 2nd battalion, 9th Marines, 3rd Marine Corps division. Soon, he would enter the Vietnam War.
	On November 29, 1966, on his 21st birthday, Charles arrived in Vietnam. As a soldier, he participated in several perilous operations and missions, e.g., Operation Buckeye and Hickory. He was given the nickname "Herc" by his comrades because of his brute strength and fearless heroics. During his tour of duty, he received two purple hearts for injury and was promoted to sergeant.
After the war, Charles settled down and married Jacqueline Mason. They went on to have two children, Katherine Ann and Mark Anthony. At this time, Charles also settled into a new career, working as an ironworker for Local #1 in Chicago. He has participated in the construction of many colossal architectural pieces, e.g., the Sears Tower and McCormick Place.
	In the mid-70s, Charles took up bodybuilding and entered many local and state competitions. He also expounded on his passion for art, drawing and painting for businesses. In the 1980s, he worked on many tee shirt designs and personal works.
On November 3, 1993 Charles' instinctual heroism was illustrated in the collapse of a postal construction site in downtown Chicago. He was the first ironworker to run down into the rubble of steel to help rescue survivors. Sadly, his longtime friend, Larry Thormeyer, was one of the victims of this horrific accident.
	In 1997, Charles completed Honoring and Remembering as a tribute to his fallen comrades. This piece received national recognition and was reproduced in a framed artwork issued by the U.S. Post Office. Today, it hangs in the National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum in Chicago.