Charles P. Blankenship was born on October 12, 1919, in South Carolina. Charles served in Company F, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, as a Private First Class during World War II.

On the night before D-Day, June 6, 1944, American paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division were deployed near Sainte-Mère-Église, France. The town had recently been attacked, and a fire ignited by a stray bomb had drawn German soldiers and villagers into the town square to form a bucket brigade. The area was well-lit due to the fire, and when two planes mistakenly dropped paratroopers directly over the village, they became exposed and easy targets for the Germans.

Among the paratroopers who were Killed in Action was PFC Blankenship, who was shot in a tree. He is now buried in the Laurelwood Cemetery, Rock Hill, York County, South Carolina, USA. PFC Blankenship was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart in recognition of his bravery and sacrifices.