Charles Edward Rich was born on July 5, 1922, in Greenwich, Fairfield County, Connecticut. He had four years of high school, had a civil occupation in the semiskilled occupations in mechanical treatment of metals (rolling, stamping, forging, pressing, etc), and was single without dependents upon enlistment.

Charles entered military service in Hartford, Connecticut. He served in Company A, 2nd Ranger Battalion, as a Sergeant during World War II. He was Killed in Action on June 6, 1944, at the age of 21, in Vierville-sur-Mer, during the American assault on Omaha Beach in France. Sgt Rich is now buried in the Normandy American Cemetery, Colleville-Sur-Mer, France.