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Chattanoogan Charles Coolidge, the nation’s oldest Medal of Honor recipient, dies at 99

Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / J.C. Coolidge, right, Mr. Coolidge's grandson, introduces Charles Coolidge to Kyle Carpenter, the youngest Medal of Honor recipient present at the dedication. The Charles H. Coolidge National of Medal of Honor Heritage Center was dedicated during a ceremony at the center on Saturday, February 22, 2020. Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / J.C. Coolidge, right, Mr. Coolidge's grandson, introduces Charles Coolidge to Kyle Carpenter, the youngest Medal of Honor recipient present at the dedication. The Charles H. Coolidge National of Medal of Honor Heritage Center was dedicated during a ceremony at the center on Saturday, February 22, 2020.

By Staff Report April 7, 2021 4 min read

Charles Henry Coolidge Sr., the country’s oldest Medal of Honor recipient and beloved Chattanoogan, died on Tuesday at CHI Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga. He was 99.

Coolidge received the nation’s highest military honor for valor for his actions in the wooded mountains of France in October 1944, when he assumed command of an isolated group of 28 men, then defied the German army and two tanks for four days of continuous fighting. Coolidge was presented the Medal of Honor by Lt. Gen. Wade H. Haislip in a rare battlefield ceremony June 18, 1945, at a bombed-out airfield near Dornstadt, Germany.

The legacy of the quiet and unassuming Coolidge will reside going forward at the city’s largest public space – Coolidge Park – and the new Charles H. Coolidge National Medal of Honor Heritage Center, which is dedicated to educating the next generation about the six character traits that embody the heroic recipients of the nation’s highest medal.

Photo Gallery

Charles H. Coolidge

U.S. Army Technical Sgt. Charles Coolidge / Contributed photo

World War II Medal of Honor recipient Charles Coolidge of Signal Mountain, Tenn., discusses April 12, 2006, the theft of his original medal. Coolidge got flimflammed out of his medal -- at a military reunion of all places -- when someone offered to help recondition it and gave him back a fake version of the award. The FBI tracked down Coolidge's real Medal of Honor from a man who was selling and trading medals in Ohio. (AP Photo/ Mark Gilliland)

Medal of Honor recipient Charles Coolidge attends a ceremony and reception Wednesday at the Signal Crest United Methodist Church. The event marked the first day of issue of a commemorative stamp honoring Medal of Honor recipients.

Staff Photo by John Rawlston -- Congressional Medal of Honor recipients Charles Coolidge, pictured above, and Desmond Doss were special guests at the dedication ceremony for the Korean War Monument at the National Cemetary's Circle of Honor.

Medal of Honor recipient Charles Coolidge talks to attendees as he attends a ceremony and reception Wednesday at the Signal Crest United Methodist Church. The event marked the first day of issue of a commemorative stamp honoring Medal of Honor recipients.

Coolidge Park's namesake, Medal of Honor recipient Charles H. Coolidge, listens to Maj. Gen. Max Haston during an award ceremony on Friday. Coolidge received a special flag in recognition of his actions during World War II.

Photo Courtesy of Vince Butler / This the famous photo of the four Medal of Honor recipients in the Armed Forces Day parade in Chattanooga. WWI recipient Alvin York is driving the jeep, and the WWII recipient in the back are, left to right, Paul Huff, Charles Coolidge and Raymond Cooley.

In addition to the park and the heritage center, Chattanooga and the nation have honored the war hero in many other ways. Part of U.S. Highway 27 was named for Coolidge, and a permanent roadside marker on Signal Mountain was erected to recognize his heroic actions in World War II. He was also honored in 2013, being the first of only 12 Medal of Honor recipients to be featured on the cover of the Medal of Honor forever stamp sheet issued by the U.S. Postal Service.