MONTGOMERY, Ohio — A man from Montgomery has been a volunteer with the Salvation Army for years, ever since he came into contact with the nonprofit in World War II.
"The Salvation Army was very good to us," Charles "Charlie" Carraher Jr., a 97-year-old WWII pilot, said. "I appreciated all they did... The coffee was better than the mess hall at the barracks.”
Carraher was in France and Germany when, he said, the Salvation Army "brought a little home there."
Now, years after the war ended, Carraher volunteers as a bell ringer with the Salvation Army around the holidays. His normal location is the Kroger in Montgomery, and community officials recognize and commend his volunteer work.
"It shows the community what Montgomery is all about," Carol Gorley, the executive director of the Montgomery, Ohio Chamber of Commerce, said. "Somebody who has worked hard all their life and they’re giving back to the community still.”
Carraher said he has been at the Kroger in Montgomery for at least 15 years, and he has enjoyed every minute of it.
"It's something special about seeing a little kid come up, 4 or 5 years old, and put some pennies or nickels in [the kettle]," Carraher said.
