ATHENS, Tenn. — The U.S. Navy and some of its proud veterans continue to honor an Athens soldier who lost his life in World War II, valiantly fighting to protect U.S. Navy ships at the Battle of Midway Island.

It has been three years, but former service members who served on the Navy destroyer USS Charles Ware will hold their annual reunion here next week, coming back to the hometown of the man for whom their ship was named.

Athens native Lt. Charles Rollins Ware was the pilot of a plane that took part in the Battle of Midway on June 4, 1942. He and others of his squadron battled until they ran out of fuel and fell into the sea, keeping Japanese planes from sinking American ships that were leading America’s effort to regain dominance in the Pacific Ocean.

On April 12, 1945, the USS Charles Ware, a Gearing class destroyer, was launched at Bethlehem Steel Shipyard in New York, honoring the fallen Athens pilot for the next 29 years as it served the U.S. Navy around the world, including in Vietnam in 1967.

The ship was decommissioned in 1974. It was used as a target ship in 1981 and sunk by practicing pilots.

But the 235 former Ware sailors expected here next week have not forgotten their ship any more than they have forgotten about the sacrifice of Lt. Ware.

The city has rolled out the red carpet, welcoming the veterans and planning a memorial walk ceremony and opening a special exhibit at the McMinn Living History Museum.

“This is truly an exciting time for Athens,” said Austin Fesmire, Director of Parks and Recreation.

“We are able to simultaneously dedicate the expanded museum exhibit in honor of Lt. Ware and the destroyer named in his honor, and to place bricks in the walk with the names of the 278th National Guard from Athens who served the first tour in Iraq and bricks in honor and memory of our local veterans,” he said.

Mr. Fesmire said events begin Wednesday with a picnic at the Regional Park and continues Thursday with tours of local attractions.

“On Friday they will take the Hiwassee Rail train trip, and attend a show that evening at the Athens Junior High School that is a salute to the Ware,” Mr. Fesmire said.

He said Athens is again honored to have the reunion return to the city where Lt. Ware lived with his mother.

Next Saturday, a ceremony will be held in Veterans’ Park where 245 new serviceman and servicewoman bricks will be laid in a memorial walk along with the hundreds already in place. Some of those bricks bear names of members of the 278th National Guard Unit from Athens who served in Iraq.

Then the expanded museum exhibit will be dedicated. It include a new interactive hands-on section for elementary school-age children to teach them about Navy practices such as signal flagging, they can try on actual Navy clothing, and see models of the ship. There is video presentation and a porthole for viewing other displays behind the glass.

City Park elementary students recently came to the museum to try out the new ideas, and give the interactive display a test run. It came through with flying colors, according to Museum Director Diane Hutsell.

“This will be a permanent part of the museum display,” Ms. Hutsell said. “It appears the signal flags are the most popular.”

Eventually the exhibit will include another model of the USS Ware, circa 1962 after a refitting. A model of the original ship is currently on display, and trays of blueprints of the ship can be viewed.

“We are working on the display to have it completed by the Saturday event,” Museum Curator Travis Haun said earlier this week. New display cases, more artifacts from the ship and from those who served on the Ware, and a video about the USS Ware will all be part of the display.

According to historical documents on display, Charles Ware joined the Navy in 1929. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, and served on various ships until 1940 when he entered flight training.

Lt. Ware and his section of six Douglas SBD-2/3 “Dauntless” dive bombers and other planes led an attack on three Japanese carriers. A large number of Japanese “Zero” fighter planes protected the carriers, and Lt. Ware and his group attacked them even though fuel was running low.

Only two members of the group survived when they were rescued from the ocean by a destroyer.

A memorial to Lt. Ware and the ship was dedicated in Veteran’s park in 2002.

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