BILLINGS — More than eight decades after surviving imprisonment during World War II, veteran Charles “Joe” Hucke marked his 102nd birthday in Billings with a celebration of both his life and legacy days before Veterans Day.
Watch how a WWII veteran celebrated his 102nd birthday:
Hucke was surrounded by family, friends, caregivers, and plenty of love at Butterfly Homes Assisted Living in Billings on Friday afternoon. The milestone was marked with cake, and he was presented with an Air Force challenge coin as a token of gratitude for his courage.
“We're just so lucky to have him. It's not everybody that has a relative that age," said Douglas Hucke, his son. "We're very lucky that he's as happy as he is.”
His four children, Douglas, Carol Paulson, Lynne Pinnick, and Jennifer Moller, recalled stories of growing up spending days outdoors with their father, with skiing trips and hikes.
“I remember skiing from an early age. He was on the ski patrol at Red Lodge Mountain," recalled Pinnick. "He'd take us up there. We got to ski whether we wanted to or not.”
They also remember him for his time in service during World War II.
The veteran, husband, and father was born Nov. 7, 1923, in Wyola, on the Crow reservation.
Hucke enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942 with a lifelong dream to fly. He was drafted into the Air Corps, and after completing infantry and flight training, he transitioned to single-engine fighter planes. He mastered the AT-6 advanced trainer aircraft, moving to the P-40 Warhawk, and later moved on to the P-47 Thunderbolt.
He crossed the Atlantic aboard the Queen Mary and joined the 368th Fighter Group in France, flying missions with the 397th Fighter Squadron in the European Theater. His group provided air support during the Battle of the Bulge and flew low-level bombing and strafing missions.
"He talks about strafing, steam locomotive, and how exciting it was to watch the locomotive engine blow up with all the steam," said Douglas Hucke.
On Jan. 14, 1945, Hucke’s squadron was attacked by a large formation of German fighters. Half of the group was lost, and his plane was shot down over enemy territory. He was wounded by a bullet in his leg. Once he was captured by German soldiers, they dragged him over a quarter mile by his parachute. He was eventually taken to a prisoner-of-war hospital in Heppenheim, Germany, where he spent three months in terrible conditions described as riddled with lice, and he was given little for food. Hucke was just 19 years old at the time.
"He went in at 160 pounds and came out at 120 pounds in just three months," said Douglas Hucke.
Liberation finally came in the spring of 1945. He spent the next year hospitalized at Madigan Army Hospital in Fort Lewis in Washington state before returning home to Montana.
The situation left his leg shortened by three inches, but the injury never stopped him.
"He lost three inches off the length of his leg, but it didn't stop him from skiing, snow skiing, water skiing, backpacking, hunting, fishing,” said Douglas Hucke. “He overcame it all. So, it's quite a story.”
"That didn't slow him down. He just always went for it, in everything he did," added Paulson. “I think he appreciated life because of his near miss with death.”
Once Hucke returned home to Montana, he built a life filled with family, work, and adventure. He married his wife, Dorothy, who died nearly three years ago in 2023, the same year the couple would have celebrated their 75th anniversary and his 100th birthday.
"Nonetheless, he managed to be a successful businessman, and a wonderful father, and a wonderful husband to my mother," said Douglas Hucke.
For years, Hucke said little about his wartime experiences. Like many of his generation, he carried the emotional scars silently until he began to share more nearly 30 years after his service.
"It was a whole other aspect of his life we didn't have any idea about. I think it brought a lot of understanding for me personally to why he was the way he was and the person he was and the drive he had,” said Paulson. “It was it was a rough go, but it's made him kind of who he is today.”
Hucke's resiliency shows now at 102 years old. Even as his body has slowed and he needs more assistance, his family says he remains sharp. He moved to Butterfly Homes last month and has already bonded with the staff.
He is also a grandfather to four and a great-grandfather to five.
“There's people that I don't even know coming up and just loving on him. He's made a lot of loving relationships," said Moller. “It's pretty cool to have a grandpa that’s survived the war and 102 years old.”
As the family gathered to celebrate over a century of memories, their pride was evident, not just in Joe’s longevity but in the life he built after the war.
"Everybody really loves him, so he's pretty special to everybody in the family," said Pinnick.
Joe Hucke’s story is marked by many hardships, yet also contains many cherished moments. He serves as a reminder, especially ahead of Veterans Day, to honor those who gave so much.
“As long as people are interested,” Douglas said, “we’ll keep helping Joe tell his story.”
