Charlene Marie Nelson

Lilah Crowe2019-11-26T12:24:45-06:00

Name: Charlene Marie Nelson
Location of Birth: Fairbanks, Alaska
Date of Birth: July 26, 1981
Date of Death:
Parents: David and Penny Barber
High School and Class: Bigfork High School, Bigfork, Minnesota
College:
Highest Rank: E1
Branch: Army
Other Branch:
Date Sworn In: April 9, 2002
Place Sworn In:
Date of Discharge: September 20, 2002
Place of Discharge:
Military Awards:
After service, was awarded the 2018 Minnesota Veteran's Voice Award.

Civilian Life:
Charlene Nelson (aka Waldron and birth-name Barber) separated early from the service after removal of a tumor which became enlarged, she suspects, from the physical exertion. Charlene elected to have it removed, desiring to see through her dreams of being stationed in Germany and serving as a medic. However, she was discharged shortly before earning her first rank.

Charlene continues to be active in the community, with a keen interest in constitutional rights. She acted as a children's rights advocate for over a decade before diving into hands-on civil rights activism in Itasca County.