CHARLIE GIBBS	BIOGRAPHY
Created by Bob Kanigher and Frank Redondo

PERSONAL DATA

Occupation: Soldier, U.S. Army
Status: Deceased
Citizenship: American
Base of Operation: Europe (World War II)
Group Affiliation(s): Easy Company
Gender: Male
Hair: Brown
First Appearance: Sgt. Rock #337 (February 1980): "A Bridge Called Charlie"
Creators: Bob Kanigher and Frank Redondo

HISTORY

One of the combat happy Joes of Easy Company, Charlie Gibbs was put in charge of nine other soldiers by Sgt. Rock while the rest of Easy were to reinforce Baker Company some miles away. The orders were direct; to guard a bridge against a possible German advance. Charlie joked with Rock that as a kid he'd always wanted a bridge named after him. If Charlie held it, Rock said, he'd mark it on the map with his name.

Charlie and his men dug in, and sometime later the Germans did advance. Charlie and his men held them off, even throughout an artillery shelling. The American soldiers would not surrender. The German Lieutenant believed his men were facing a company, if not a battalion. Finally, a German panzer started across the bridge. Gibbs charged the tank, even wounder he fought the panzer commander as he dropped a grenade down the hatch, destroying the tank.

Making their way across the bridge, the Germans were shocked to find nine dead American soldiers in their foxholes. Their advance had been held up by ten men. Ordered to withdraw, the German lieutenant ordered his men to help the mortally wounded American. He pinned his own iron cross on Charlie Gibbs as a mark of honor.

When Sgt. Rock and the rest of Easy Company returned, Charlie's body was given to the Americans under the truce of a white flag and the lieutenant told Rock of Charlie's heroism. Soon, a column of panzers advanced on the bridge, Rock had his men pull back to let them start across. Then, the bridge was blown, destroying the tanks as well. Rock knew the lieutenant had not known of the panzers' advance, and after the two leaders saluted, he let them return to their side. -Sgt. Rock #337

CHRONOLOGY

For a definitive list of appearances of Charlie Gibbs in chronological order click here