In Memory of Charles D Sawyers

Each day, as I go through those lost during the Vietnam War, I am presented with the names and faces of many men. Often, for one reason or another, one will stand out to me. Some for their age, some for their hometowns, some for their name, and some for no clear reason whatsoever. Today, Veterans Day, Staff Sergeant Charles Douglas Sawyers grabbed my attention.

SSG Sawyers not only died on Veterans Day, he was also born on Veterans Day.

Born in Yukon, West Virginia in 1942, he had been serving in the Army since 1962. He was on his second tour in Vietnam when his unit came into an ambush. He was leading his group from B Company, 299th Combat Engineering Battalion, 937th Engineer Group, 18th Engineer Brigade when the ambush happened. One of the men from his unit said afterward, "Charlie was my squad leader. He was killed by a sniper as we were fighting off a NVA ambush. He went down fighting like the brave leader he was! I think of him every day."

It is obvious that SSG Sawyers loved what he was doing. He had served for five years, had gone through two tours and had earned the respect of those he was leading, fighting with, and fighting for. His spirit lives on in the Army he loved and with those who knew him.

I can't imagine what this day means to those left behind. So many emotions wrapped into one single day. On the day we honor our veterans, they have to remember both his birth and his loss. My heart goes out to them. 

Thank you Charlie, for your service and sacrifice, We miss you and will never forget you.