Only 45,000 American World War II veterans are still alive. That's according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. A 101-year-old WWII veteran hopes to preserve his story on this Veterans Day and during Native American Heritage Month.

It all started with a visitor seeing a newborn Gilbert Charleston sleeping inside a dresser drawer in 1923.

"He started laughing and said, 'Well, looks like we got another 'Choc,'" Charleston said.

The proud Choctaw Indian would go by "Choc" for the rest of his life, including when he served in the U.S. Army during WWII.

"We slept in the tank. We rarely got hot food," Charleston said. "I prefer not to be shot at, but it didn't work out that way."

Charleston's memory remains remarkably sharp at 101 years young as he recounts combat serving in the 739th tank battalion.

"I spent three years as a tank driver and fought from France, Luxembourg, Belgium, all of Germany back to the Battle of the Bulge," Charleston said.

The fear of losing his life was real, and the conditions remained brutal.

"Many men lost their feet that were in the infantry because of the snow and the cold," Charleston said. "We were fortunate enough in the tank not to lose our feet, but it was still 20 degrees below."

Charleston joined other veterans in 2024 for a bittersweet 80th anniversary reunion of the Battle of the Bulge.

"They flew me to Bastogne, and we met the king and queen of Belgium," Charleston said.

Military service has traditionally been important for Native Americans and particularly for those who are members of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, according to Assistant Chief Jack Austin.

"They served before they were considered a U.S. citizen. They were proud to be fighting for something, and we've always stood by our country," Austin said.

An estimated 25,000 Native Americans served during WWII.

"It's a way of saying, 'Yakoke.' Thank you to all veterans for their service because at some point in time in their life, they sign that check that was payable with their life," Austin said.

"Happy Veterans Day today and especially to those that were in the Pacific and European battles," Charleston said.

Charleston turns 102 on December 24 and hopes his story of service and sacrifice is preserved for generations to come. He said his secret to longevity is taking care of his body, playing golf, and never smoking or drinking.