Photo of Lt. Black and his wife taken during Charlie Company's party shortly before shipping out to Viet Nam. They were married at the Custer Hill Chapel, Fort Riley, Kansas, about one month earlier. (approximately December, 1966). Photo courtesy of Bill Reynolds.

 

Memorial For Lieutenant Charles Black 9th Infantry Division - 4/47th Battalion - Charlie Company Lieutenant Black was one of the fine officers in Charlie Company when all of us came together in May of 1966, as the 9th Infantry Division was reactivated at Fort Riley, Kansas. He and the other experienced officers and non-commissioned officers worked very hard training us for months before our January, 1967 departure to Viet Nam. Recently, a friend of mine at work and a former member of Charlie Company, Bill Reed, and I were discussing The Virtual Wall and the fellas that didn't make it back. Bill reminded me that Lieutenant Black had lost his life on April 13, 1967, while attempting to disarm a land mine. Bill and I reminisced how much we had admired Lieutenant Black at Fort Riley and how gung-ho he was in Viet Nam. Occasionally, I take a look at my old photos, which includes one with our officers and their wives at a celebration dinner. The photo has Lieutenant Black, Lieutenant Jack Benedick (my platoon leader), Captain Larson, and Lieutenant Colonel Tutweiler - along with their wives. I continue, after all these many years, to have fond memories of that time at Fort Riley and of those officers. Those men truly tried their best to prepare all of us for a very ugly business that lay ahead. Lieutenant Black was a fine man and a professional soldier who really cared about his fellow soldiers. I can only suppose that quality led him to heroically try to disarm that land mine. Bill Reynolds billry@comcast.net P.S. If other 4/47th soldiers read this and can provide additional details, it would be very much appreciated.

 

Soldiers of Charlie Company 4th Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division memorialized on The Virtual Wall include 1LT Charles D Black 13 April 1967 SP4 Marion T Eakins 11 July 1967 SP4 Philip A Ferro 11 July 1967 SP4 William M Geier 19 June 1967 SGT Elmer F Kenney 11 July 1967 SP4 Donald M Peterson 15 May 1967 SP4 Ronald P Schworer 09 Apr 1967 SSGT George E Smith 11 July 1967 CPL Harold W King 11 July 1967 SP5 James M Sunday 25 Sep 1967   CPL Cecil Benny Bridges 29 Jul 1967

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