Meet Charley Valera
Award-Winning Author • Documentary Filmmaker • Aviator • Speaker
Charley Valera is an award-winning author, documentary filmmaker, commercial pilot, and aviation professional whose work has focused on preserving history and serving others. Through books, films, and public presentations, he is dedicated to ensuring the stories of America’s Greatest Generation are never forgotten.
Valera’s aviation, journalism, and documentary work share a common goal: preserving remarkable stories, educating the public, and inspiring future generations.
Beyond his aviation career, Valera has interviewed dozens of American World War II veterans, authored multiple books, and produced the award-winning documentary My Father’s War: Memories from Our Honored WWII Soldiers, preserving their stories for future generations.
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The Story Behind My Father’s War
I was looking through my own father’s military discharge papers (DD-214), wondering why he never spoke to his four sons about his years in World War II. I knew he had served overseas for three years, but it wasn’t until I saw where he had served that everything suddenly clicked.
I realized that countless families, just like mine, had a World War II veteran who had never shared their experiences—not even with their own children.
My father had passed away more than a decade earlier, and I would never have the opportunity to ask him about his wartime service. By 2015, many of the remaining WWII veterans were already well into their nineties. I felt an overwhelming sense of urgency to preserve their voices and their stories before they were lost forever.
That realization became the inspiration for My Father’s War: Memories from Our Honored WWII Soldiers—a journey that ultimately led to interviews with eighteen remarkable veterans and the award-winning documentary featuring nine of their unforgettable stories.
▸ Watch the 58 second video to learn how one discovery changed everything. Here
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Pilot • Aviation • Humanitarian Service
•Pilot with Instrument Rating and former owner of FCA Flight Center at Fitchburg Municipal Airport (KFIT) in Fitchburg, Massachusetts.
• Aviation, real estate, and disaster response writer whose work has appeared in numerous local and national publications, including AOPA, EAA, NBAA, Sentinel & Enterprise, Aviation News, Business Airport International, and other industry publications.
• Public Relations and Media Director for Aerobridge, a nonprofit disaster response organization. Aerobridge coordinates an all-volunteer network of more than 4,000 general aviation pilots and ground support personnel nationwide, providing rapid airlift assistance to communities affected by natural disasters in the critical hours immediately following an emergency.
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Awards • Recognition • Media
Awards and Rocogntion
Recipient of five national awards, including the Accolade Film Competition Winner Award.
Media Coverage
• Television interviews • Newspaper coverage
• Presidential letters and notable endorsements
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Speaking & Events
Available for documentary screenings, historical presentations, book signings, libraries, schools, veterans organizations, Civic groups, and community events.
Valera also serves as Public Relations and Media Director for Aerobridge, a nonprofit disaster response organization that coordinates a nationwide network of more than 4,000 volunteer pilots and ground support personnel. The organization provides rapid airlift assistance to communities affected by natural disasters throughout the United States.
Through his books, documentaries, presentations, and humanitarian service, Valera is committed to preserving history, honoring America’s Greatest Generation, and helping others—ensuring that stories of courage, sacrifice, and service continue to inspire future generations.
Whether interviewing a 101-year-old World War II veteran, flying a historic warbird, or speaking before an audience, Valera believes every life has a story worth preserving.
