More detail on this person: Charles Joseph
Kosko passed away peacefully, surrounded by his
family, November 1, 2013. Born to Anna Warner
Kosko and Joseph Kosko on April 15, 1936, in
Scranton, he attended St. John Baptist School and
graduated from Pittston Central Catholic High
School in 1954.
Charles entered Army Basic Training in March,
1955 at Fort Dix, N.J. followed by training at
Camp Gordon, Ga. in communications. Upon
completion, he was assigned to Illeshiem, Germany
to the 596th Signal Support Company until Dec.
1957, when he was transferred to Ft. Benning, Ga.
In 1960, Charles re-enlisted as a Sgt. and was
assigned to Tobyhanna Army Depot, Tobyhanna,
Pa. where he met his wife, Betty Ann Hughes, a
nursing student at Thomas Jefferson Medical
Center. In 1960, he was assigned to the 6th Trans
H-21 Company in Korea. On returning home, April
15, 1961, Betty Ann and Charles were married and
moved to Ft. Knox, Ky., where he was a
Maintenance Mechanic on CH-37 helicopters. The
unit was transferred to Germany where their son
Wayne was born January, 1964. The next
assignment was Ft. Sill, Okla. to the 90th Trans
Company Med Helicopter a (CH-37/47) unit, where
daughter Debbie was born Aug., 1965. Charles was
selected for helicopter pilot training and was
trained in Mineral Wells, Texas and Ft. Rucker,
Ala., graduating as a Warrant Officer in Nov.,
1967. He was re-assigned to Vietnam after
maintenance training in Ft. Eustis, Va., to the
240th AHC in South Vietnam. Charles flew combat
missions, maintenance flights and aircraft
recoveries until returning home to his family in
Va., as a flight instructor at Ft. Eustis. He flew
daily flights to Washington, D.C. for the Army
Staff. Following advanced training in CH-47
helicopters at Ft. Rucker, AL., he was reassigned
to Vietnam with Company B 159th Aviation, part of
101st Airborne. He returned to his family in 1971,
as a test pilot instructor. Charles completed
college at St. Leo's College of Florida. After 21
years of service, he retired from active duty and
was assigned to the Army National Guard at Ft.
Indiantown Gap, Pa. He served as Allied Trades
Foreman and then Quality Control Officer for the
aviation facility for 14 years until his
retirement in Dec., 1990. He worked for Omega
Labs as a part-time driver for the next 14 years.
Charles is survived by his wife of 52 years, Betty
Ann Hughes Kosko; his daughter, Debbie; son,
Wayne Charles Kosko and his wife, Laurie;
granddaughters, Carolyn Kosko and Andrea Kosko
of Delaware; his sister, Arlene Kosko Bobnak,
husband, George and their children Michael, Jerry,
Paul and Laura of Philadelphia.
Charles was a member of Gravel Hill United
Methodist Church, the Military Officers
Association and the VFW. His interests were
woodworking, his family and friends, and enjoying
the outdoors.
Funeral services will be held on Wednesday at
12:30 p.m. from the Kreamer Funeral Home and
Crematory, 618 E. Main Street, Annville, with the
Rev. Douglas E. Smith, Pastor of Gravel Hill
United Methodist Church, Palmyra officiating.
Interment will be in Indiantown Gap National
Cemetery with full military honors. Viewing will
be held on Wednesday from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
prior to the service at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be
made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box
1274, Lebanon, PA 17042; or Gravel Hill United
Methodist Church, 131 Gravel Hill Road, Palmyra,
PA 17078 in his memory.
FUNERAL SERVICE Wednesday November 6,
2013, 12:30PM at Kreamer Funeral Home &
Crematory
This information was last updated 11/07/2012
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