From July 1968 until June 1969, Charlie was assigned combat duty as a USAF helicopter

pilot in the 20th Special Operations Squadron based at NhaTrang AB, South Vietnam. He

flew 988 combat sorties and 543 combat flying hours as a Flight Lead in United States

Air Force UH-1P helicopter gunships for the 20th Special Operations Squadron’s ‘Green

Hornets’. During this combat tour, in support of highly classified U.S. Army Special

Forces long range reconnaissance patrols in and out of Cambodia (Operation Daniel

Boone), Charlie was awarded Distinguished Flying Crosses for Heroism and

Extraordinary Achievement, the Purple Heart, the Air Medal with Ten Oak Leaf Clusters,

two Presidential Unit Citations for Extraordinary Heroism in Military Operations Against

an Armed Enemy and, the Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Bronze Palm.

Charlie’s USAF career as a Command Pilot included operations in UH-1F, UH-1P, CH-

3C/E, HH-3E, HH-60G helicopters and HC-130P/H/N aircraft. His 26 years and over

7300 flight hours as a military pilot included 6000 hours in helicopters.

One highlight of Charlie’s career occurred in 1977 when Queen’s Flight, one of the

British Royalty’s security agencies, personally selected Charlie to plan and pilot His

Royal Highness Prince (King) Charles during a scheduled visit to the San Francisco Bay

Area, Northern California wineries, and to a luncheon with the Governor of the State of

California. Charlie led the three ship military helicopter flight supporting Prince (King)

Charles’ entourage, with the Queen’s Flight security personnel, throughout the scheduled

visit.

In 1989, Charlie was assigned to the Headquarters California National Guard as Chief of

Plans for the California Air National Guard. His duties included civil-military emergency

planning (homeland security) for civil disturbances, floods, wildfires, earthquakes,

environmental disasters, terrorism and, international civil-military disaster exercises with

Ukraine. During 1999-2000, he was Chief Planner to conceptually develop, plan, and

execute “Rough and Ready 2000”, the U.S. Department of Defense’s first civil-military

disaster exercise with Ukraine. Today, the “Rough and Ready” exercise remains a

premier planning model for follow-on National Guard civil-military disaster exercises

within the Department of Defense’s European Command. Charlie’s meritorious service to

the State of California, and the Headquarters California National Guard, was twice

recognized by the Governor’s Office with awards of The Order of California, the highest

state military meritorious service recognition in the California National Guard.

In June 2004, Charlie retired from the California National Guard. Now he’s ready to fish,

golf, hunt, smell the roses, count his blessings and, visit with family and grandchildren.

Charlie lives in Summerfield, FL.