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 73

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