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.

Carl K. Lindley

Carl Lindley was assigned to Company D of the 341st Engineers Regiment. The regiment was organized in 1922, but not activated until March of 1942, 3 months after Pearl Harbor. They were sent to Dawson Creek, BC, Canada to build an all weather route from Ft. St. John to Ft. Nelson BC. Eventually, it would become part of a supply route that stretched from the mainland US to Alaska. There was a very real threat of Japanese invasion at that point. They completed the Alcan Highway in September of 1942, and remained in the area to keep it open through winter and to affect various repairs along the route.

After this, they were shipped to Europe where they were used extensively. They were used at Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland and Central Europe. Some men were transferred in and out of infantry, but mostly they were used to construct and repair roads and bridges as the allies advanced. They were then assigned to the Pacific campaign, but war ended before they arrived.

It was during the construction of the Alcan Highway, in Dawson Creek, BC, that Lindley did something that would go on to become of of the biggest tourist attractions in the Northwest. He was assigned to repair and install sign markers along the route. At one point, he tacked a directional sign of his own to a post. The sign read "Danville, Illinois 2835 Miles". It was his hometown. Others followed his lead and posted their own signs. The tradition grew to include visitors in the area and went on to become a kind of rite of passage for travelers visiting.

Carl's original sign didn't survive the years, nor did any of the other original directional signs added by those early followers. In 1992, Lindley re-visited the area for the first time in 50 years. He hung a replica of his original sign. That replica now hangs in the visitor center. There are now over 100,000 signs adorning the "forest".

Carl Lindley passed away in 2002, but not without having left his mark on history. Not only with the sign forest, but his footprints were once seen all over Europe, from the landing at Normandy through the Battle of the Bulge and beyond. Lindley and his fellow soldiers played an incredibly significant role in the allies march through Europe to victory. Without the engineers, advances didn't happen. With them, victory did!

Thank you Carl Lindley for your years of service and the fun legacy you left for so many to enjoy.

 Carl and his wife in 1992

Carl in 1942

You can read more about the 341st, written by Carl, here, 341st Eng Rg

You can also see tons of images of the forest, here. Google Images