Charles Andrews Lockwood was born on May 6, 1890, in Midland, Virginia, but came of age in rural Missouri. He did not rise through the U.S. Naval Academy with flair or distinction, graduating in 1912 near the lower third of his class. Yet, what he may have lacked in academic polish, he more than made up for in grit, instinct, and a deep-seated sense of duty to the Navy and to the men under his command.

Drawn to the submarines early, Lockwood began his undersea career aboard the tender USS Mohican in 1914. That same year, he took command of his first boat, the USS A-2, stationed in the Philippines. This marked the beginning of a lifelong bond between Lockwood and the silent service. He would later say he had submarines in his blood. In 1917, as commander of Submarine Division 1 during World War I, Lockwood tackled an early crisis head-on. A pair of deadly gasoline explosions on submarines A-7 and A-2 killed nine sailors. Lockwood led the investigation, ensuring that such disasters would not be repeated.