Click to Pick

Roster

Application

Members Comments

Biographies

Ripcord Photos

by Chris Jensen

by misc (coming Soon)

Reunions

Future Reunions

Past Reunions

TV Shows of Ripcord

National Geographics

FOX  War Stories

NGC Blog

Books about Ripcord

"Ripcord" Screaming Eagles under Siege

Hell on a Hilltop

Anita Britt Nolan

Trust Fund

Ripcord  Veterans  Biographies  Page 1

 Page 2       Page 3       Page 4       Page 5       Page 6     Page 7      Page 8

Page 9      Page 10

Charles F Hawkins

A & C & HHC/2/506

Benjamin Harrison

HHC 3rd BDE

Frank Marshall

A/2-506

James Aanonsen

A/2-506

Tommy Counts

D/2-506

Lee Widjeskog

A/2-506

Floyd Alexander

FO's RTO

Kenneth Kays

D/1-506

Bob Kalsu

C/2-11  Arty

Chip Collins

B/2-506

Layne Hammons

C/2-506

Tom Manbeck

C/2-506

Michael Boles

B/2-506

Tim Joliet

A/2-506

Bill Kohr

Pathfinder  

Daniel Thompson

HHC/2-506

Gary Radford

D/2-506

Bob Judd

B/2-506

Randy House

C/158 Phoenix 16

Martin Glennon

A/2-506

Barry Mishler

B & E /2-506

Erick W. Miller

B-Co  1/327th Inf

David Rich

B/2-319th Field Artillery

Anthony Chritchlow

HHC 2/506 

Rick Blythe

2/506

HHC, A co.and E co.

Jim McCoy

D/Co 1/506^th

Darryl Reina

 A2/506^th

Fred Spaulding

3rd BDE S3 AIR

AKA: Chuck, Hawk, Charlie Oscar, Nanook of the North, Dumb___, and a few other choice expletives.

In China I am called Hua Qin-si (Hawkins), after a well-known Confucian era Kung-fu master. But that’s another story.

If you Google “Charles F. Hawkins” you will most often come up with a guy at the University of New Mexico with a Ph.D. in electronic engineering. That’s not me.

I was raised in the great state of Alaska, and while some folks joke that I was “born in the belly of a moose,” I was actually born of fairly normal humans in Carmel, California on August 1, 1946.

My father, James Edgar, mustered out of service with the 10^th Mountain Division in World War II at Fort Ord, California. Mother, Mary Teresa Reinheimer, left a teaching position at State College, Pennsylvania to join Dad on the left coast.

Both parents were schoolteachers and in 1950 accepted a federal teaching assignment in Ninilchik, Alaska. (It’s on the Kenai Peninsula, about 100 raven flying miles south of Anchorage.) By that time I had a little brother, Richard Michael (who later became a school teacher and Air National Guard rescue helicopter pilot). After we got to The Kenai and took a look around we decided we liked it, staked out a homestead, and stayed.

I grew up hunting and fishing, roaming the forests, working on fishing boats, planting and harvesting crops, and doing all the normal things a kid does in the wilderness. I had the makings of a good point man, until…

In 1964 I received an appointment to West Point through Senator Ernest Gruening (one of only two senators who voted against the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution that got us into the Vietnam War). Sort of ironic…

On June 5, 1968 I graduated and put on the “butter bars” of a second lieutenant and the crossed rifles of an infantry officer. Hot damn! I was already airborne qualified when I graduated; then followed the obligatory Infantry Officer’s Basic Course at Fortress Benning and Ranger School. Earning the coveted Ranger Tab wasn’t so bad—I’d been on tougher moose hunts.

My first assignment was with the 4^th Armored Division, 1/51^st Infantry in Crailsheim, Germany. Within a year I had two sets of reassignment orders: one for flight school and the other for Vietnam. I decided not to become an aviator. It was time to go to war.

Has there ever been a good place to go to war? Probably not. But I had done some research, and when I got to Vietnam (geeze, it was hot!) I requested (demanded?) assignment to the 101^st Airborne Division, then operating in the mountains of Thua Thien Province. On March 6, 1970 I reported to Lt. Col. Andre Lucas at the 2/506^th rear HQ. Two days later I was on Rocket Ridge leading 2^nd Platoon, C Co., and Capt. Vasquez was my commander.

Most of you can pick up the story from here. It’s familiar ground. We humped the boonies most of the time, and when we weren’t busting brush with a 100-lb. ruck on our backs, we were building firebases. We humped and built more than we fought, and we fought a lot.

There were a lot of good guys in Charlie Co. Doc Shepherd, Rainwater, my RTO, and SSG Queen, my first platoon sergeant. But at the risk of their perpetual notoriety and embarrassment I will single out three: Bob (Gypsy) Wallace and Jim Campbell, two of the finest officers I have ever known, and SSG Paul Burkey, the best damn platoon sergeant, period!

On May 30 Lucas pinned captain’s bars on my collar (it was before my regular promotion date; the term for this sort of early promotion is called “frocking”), and I took over Alpha Company. That’s where I got the nickname Charlie Oscar, and it has stuck with me all these years among those with whom I served.

The men of Alpha Company were simply the most outstanding soldiers I have ever had the honor of serving with. I can’t name you all here at the risk of missing someone important (yeah, I’m getting older and more forgetful). But you know who you are, and you were then and are now important to me. Some of you didn’t come home, and I miss you the most. You did your duty. You supported your fellow soldiers. You fought like hell. You did not stain your sacred honor. I would serve with you again, anytime, anywhere.

God bless all the men of Alpha Company, 2^nd Battalion, 506^th Infantry! I love you more than mere words can convey.

After the Battle of Firebase Ripcord was over (July 23, 1970; read Keith William Nolan’s excellent account in Ripcord, Screaming Eagles Under Siege, Vietnam 1970) Alpha Co. went back to the field with 39 men, nine old hands and 30 new guys. During the months of August through November we did more damage to the enemy than any other outfit in the battalion. (Was it a lust for revenge? Or…)

At the end of November I was reassigned to be the battalion S-1 (personnel officer). I finished my tour on February 20, 1971, and went back to the World.

I continued on active duty until September 1977, when I resigned my commission and became a real-life REMF. I served in the 1^st Infantry Division from 1971-1975 where I commanded two more rifle companies (A/1-18^th, and A/2-16^th), then went back to Benning’s School for Boys to attend the Infantry Officer’s Advanced Course, and finished up as a staff weenie at U.S. Forces Command at Fort McPherson, Georgia.

Atlanta was a great place and a fun city. I enjoyed my time there, and “got into computers” in the early days of the PC. I joined the Georgia Army National Guard and commanded a fifth rifle company (B/1-121^st Infantry) with Georgia’s 48^th Infantry Brigade, the second finest unit I’ve ever served with.

In 1984 I moved to northern Virginia to work as a computer geek at the White House Communications Agency, and other government organizations (mostly classified). I shifted my Guard allegiance to Virginia and helped form the 1^st Battalion, 170^th Infantry, 29^th Infantry Division. I retired as a major from the Army Reserve in 1990.

Bill Clinton was never my commander-in-chief. Hah!

Since that time I’ve done a lot of work for the defense and intelligence community. We call it “analysis,” but it is really journalism disguised as analysis. And I’ve had the pleasure of going to many interesting places, including a lot of Europe and a good part of Asia. In the past decade I’ve logged nearly 500 days in China on over 30 trips, and have been to the Chinese-North Korean frontier a number of times. I have also been a regular part of the U.S. observer team helping the Taiwan military prepare itself for a war with Mainland China. These efforts show no signs of abating.

In 2006 the U.S. Army Foreign Military Studies Office published a book I edited: The New Great Game: Chinese Views on Central Asia. Another book, Asia Pacific Security: Observations and Opinions of an American Defense Analyst, can be found at: http://www.militaryconflict.org/publications. Click on the title in the section.

I enjoy what I do. I’m thankful for the many blessings God has given me, and this includes the experience of leading outstanding American men in combat. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about Ripcord and the men who served in that hellish place.

Chuck Hawkins

P.S., Although I’m settled into a comfortable spot on Kent Island, Maryland, I find myself going back to Alaska more frequently these days. The old homestead is now in my care, and it needs some work, as any 57-year-old log structure will. If you’re ever of a mind to visit The Great Land, let me know. The cabin door is always open.

Born in the small town of Trumann, AR in 1928, Ben’s father died when he was 10.  Midway through the 11^th grade, Ben entered Arkansas State College and then transferred to the Univ of Miss.  At age 17, he enlisted in the Army in Jan 1946.  He was promoted to Sgt First Class at age 19. He was the enlisted honor graduate of his airborne class. He returned to Ole Miss and in 1951 was called to active duty as a military personnel psychologist.  In Sept 1951 he married Carolyn Algee, his college sweetheart.  In 1952, at his request, he returned to the infantry and was assigned to the 325^th Airborne Inf Regt, 82^nd Abn Div.  In the 82^nd, he was aide de camp to Brig Gen A. S. Newman and later served Gen Newman at the Inf School and in Germany.

Major General Harrison retired from the US Army after 28 years of commissioned service as an infantryman, aviator and educator. For three years, he was the academic and administrative head of the Command and General Staff College.  One of his lasting contributions at the College was to consolidate all Training and Doctrine Command constructive simulations and create a family of battle simulations from platoon through corps level.

Harrison's assignment at the time of his retirement was commander of the Soldier Support Center and Fort Ben Harrison, Indiana.  In this position he directed studies on unit cohesion and decentralization of personnel management that have had a major impact on today's personnel policies and replacement system.  Just prior to his assignment at Fort Harrison, he directed the one year Review of Education and Training of Officers (RETO) that created the  Combined Arms and Services Staff School (CAS3) and the system of Military Qualifications Standards (MQS) and placed Branch Proponency  with the Commandants of the Branch Schools.

From Aug 1976 to Aug 1977, Harrison was the Deputy Commanding General of the Aviation Center and Ft Rucker.  Harrison commanded the 3d Brigade, 101st Abn Div, in 1970 during  the last major US ground battle of the Vietnam War.  This battle has been documented by Keith Nolan in his superb book, RIPCORD Screaming Eagles Under Siege Vietnam 1970.  After command of the 3^rd Brigade, 101^st Airborne Division, he was the Senior Advisor to the Commanding General of the 1st Infantry Division, ARVN, during Lam Son 719 operations into Laos.  In two tours he flew 1842 combat hours and was the only officer in Vietnam to command a combat aviation battalion for 12 months.  He graduated from flight school in 1958 at the top of his class and was also first in his class at instrument school.  As a major, Harrison taught a wide range of tactical subjects at the Command and General Staff College.  He was the chief evaluator of all Air Cavalry and Mohawk units during the pivotal air mobility tests of the 11th Air Assault Division (Test) in the mid 1960's.  In 1971-73, Harrison directed the TRICAP testing at Ft Hood which resulted in the demise of the TRICAP Division and the formation of the 6th Cavalry Brigade (Air Combat).  In 1982, the TRADOC commander asked Harrison, then retired, to be the senior aviator of a group of four officers tasked to review Army Aviation.  This four-month study effort resulted in the creation of Aviation as a separate combat arms branch and the centralization of all aviation doctrine, materiel and training development at Fort Rucker.  As a junior officer, Harrison served in the 82d Airborne Division, the 5th Infantry Division in Germany, commanded a rifle company, taught operations at the Infantry School and commanded the Aviation Detachment in the 2d Infantry Battalion Combat Team in Iceland.

After his early retirement from the Army, Harrison was president of a holding company with three small manufacturing plants and varied real estate properties while concurrently doing consulting work in the defense industry and leadership development. He was a certified trainer and adjunct staff member of the Center for Creative Leadership from 1980 until full retirement in 1997.  He conducted 38 training programs for the CIA in the 1980’s.  He resigned his position as president of the T-Vest Corporation in 1982 to do the Army Aviation Branch study.  After1982, he worked as an independent consultant. Harrison conducted comprehensive weapon systems manufacturing feasibility studies for Martin Marietta Aerospace and the Hughes Helicopter Company.  He specialized in joint and combined arms operations, aviation, training simulation and executive leadership and management training.  He became a consultant to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Program Manager for SIMNET in 1985 and continued work with Distributed Interactive Virtual Simulation as an adjunct staff member of the Institute for Defense Analyses.

Keith Nolan’s book RIPCORD, published in 2000, did not provide much detail of the North Vietnamese Army side of the Firebase Ripcord battle.  Harrison gathered official Peoples Army of Vietnam books and publications, had them translated and made trips to Vietnam  in 2001 and 2004 interviewing seven former enemy officers including Maj Gen Doi who commanded the division surrounding Ripcord from May until July 23, 1970.  Harrison’s book, Hell On A Hill Top, details a much larger North Vietnamese Army operation against Ripcord than had previously been known.  The book was published by iUniverse, Inc. in Nov 2004.

AWARDS AND HONORS 

Distinguished Service Medal, two awards of the Silver Star, two awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross, two awards of the Legion of Merit, the Soldiers Medal, forty awards of the Air Medal and numerous other US and foreign decorations.  Member of the US Army Aviation Hall of Fame, the University of Mississippi Army ROTC Hall of Fame and Honorary Colonel of the Third Aviation Regiment.  Harrison has been listed in Who's Who in America since 1981.  He was National President of the Army Aviation Association of America 1993-95.  Harrison currently is President of the Army Aviation Museum Foundation and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Army Aviation Hall of Fame.

EDUCATION

University of Mississippi, BA, Psychology, 1951

University of Missouri at Kansas City, MA, Counseling and Education Psychology, 1963

Auburn University, MBA, 1969

Harvard Business School, AMP, 1971

US Army Command and General Staff College, 1961

Armed Forces Staff College, 1965

USAF War College, 1969

OPEN PUBLICATIONS

"Awesome, Mean:  Now What Do We Do with the APACHE,"  ARMY  January 1988

"Five Keys to Becoming a Successful Manager,"  ARMY  September  1988

"Which PLATOON?, " movie review in various publications

"Aviation:  A Branch Decision Revisited,"  ARMY  January 1991

"The A-10:  A Gift the Army Can't Afford,"  ARMY  July 1991

"AirLand Battle-Future and the Aviation Brigade,"  Army Aviation  July 31, 1991

"From the Hills West of Hue:  A Cautionary Tale,"  ARMY, July 1993

"Leaders or Managers?,"  selected for publication by ARMY

"Simulating the 'New World Disorder,' ARMY, August 1994

"Vietnam and the Information Age," ARMY, July 1995

"Changing the Division Structure--Ask the Right Questions First,"ARMY, Jul 1997

"Aviation:  A Branch Decision Revisited-Again,"  ARMY  April 2000

“Battle Tests Prove the APACHE Highly Survivable,” ARMY AVIATION, Sept. 2003

Hell On A Hill Top, iUniverse, ISBN: 0-595-66675-2  Nov 2004

LIMITED DISTRIBUTION PUBLICATIONS

Project Leader and Co-Author, "A Review of Education and Training for Officers," Headquarters Department of the Army, 5 volumes, 30 June 1978

Deputy Project Leader and Co-author, "TRADOC Review of Army Aviation," Headquarters, TRADOC, 3 volumes, 8 September 1982

Project Leader and Co-Author, "AIRNET Data Handbook," DARPA, 14 March 1986

Deputy Project Leader and Co-Author, "JETNET Data Handbook," DARPA,  Apr 1987

Editor and Co-author, "SIMNET Command Modules," DARPA, 5 volumes,  Mar 1989

Project Leader and Co-author, "SIMNET Semi-automated Forces," DARPA,  Apr 1990

Project Leader/ Author, "Army Aviation Simulation Survey," IDA, 2 vols, March 1992

OVERSEAS EXPERIENCE 

Served in Germany, Iceland, Hawaii and Vietnam.  Traveled in 69 countries.

Frank was born in Philadelphia on February 2, 1949. He graduated from Dobbins High School. After being drafted on January 14, 1969 at the height of the Vietnam War, he received Basic Training at Ft Bragg, Advanced Infantry Training at Ft Dix, then went to but did not complete NCOC training at Ft Benning.

In October 1969, he was shipped to the Vietnam and assigned to The 101^st Airborne Div.  Alpha Company 2/506. On March 12, 1970, his company led the assault to open up Fire Base Ripcord, 20 miles above Hue. His company suffered many casualties on this Hot LZ when their helicopters were landing. On June 8, during an ambush, Frank sustained shrapnel wounds in his back. After spending a few days at the hospital in Da Nang, he returned to his company.

By July 22, his company had been reduced to a mere 76 men due to casualties during this battle for Ripcord. That day Alpha company was attacked by over 400 NVA soldiers. Frank suffered shrapnel wounds to his arm and leg and burns to his face in three separate encounters during this 6 hour battle. These injuries kept him in the hospital and Convalescent Center for six weeks. He returned to his company and was discharged from the Army on Oct 10, 1970. Frank was awarded The Bronze Star with a “V” device, The Bronze Star, Two Purple Hearts and Two Air Medals.

After his return to civilian life, he went into his own roofing business. In 1994 became a commercial roofing sales consultant for Gucci Roofing Company and also held a part time job with Home Depot for 10 years. In 1999, he received his PA and NJ State Real Estate License. He is now a successful Real Estate Agent for Prudential Fox and Roach in Mt Laurel, NJ.

Frank was a member of “The Last Patrol” a successful fundraising effort for the Philadelphia Vietnam Veterans memorial. He instrumented the “Great American Duck Race” for the Philadelphia Veterans Multi-Service Center. He was chairman and founder of the Philadelphia Veterans Fair for the Philadelphia United Veterans Council. He has chaired and implemented numerous fundraising events such as The Woodstock Revival for the Memorial, featuring Country Joe McDonald, and Richie Havens., The Oldies Night at The Woodbine featuring Gary U.S. Bonds and The Duprees. A concert at The Civic Center featuring The Drifters, The Marvelettes and The Coasters. He was newsletter Editor and Publisher for the VVA #266 Newsletter and The Phila United Veterans Council Newsletter.

He has received several awards from veterans Organizations. The 1986 Philadelphia Vietnam Veterans Memorial Distinguished Service Award; The 1986 Chapel of Four Chaplains legion of Honor Award; The 1987 Gold Star Mothers Appreciation Award; The 1987 geriatric and medical centers Inc. for outstanding volunteer Service. The 1988 Italian American press Knights Legion, Knights of Goodness Award; The 1992 Philadelphia United Veterans Council Commanders Award of Recognition;  The 1992 Phila Vietnam Veterans Memorial relighting project appreciation award;  The 1993 VVA Chapter #266 Appreciation Award;  The 1993 National VVA organization Appreciation Award; The 1993 United veterans Council Veterans Veteran Award; The 1994 Philadelphia Regional Veterans Service Award.

Frank is Past Commander of the United veterans Council. Has held previous position of Secretary for The Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter #266.  He is a member of “Vietnam veterans of America; The Military Order of The Purple Hearts; The Phila Vietnam Veterans memorial Society; and The United Veterans Council of Philadelphia.

My Story

Being born in North Philly, I grew up hanging on a street corner. we hung out in large crowds, got along with most of the other neighborhood corners in the area. (A  neighborhood reunion in 1985 had 500 people attend). Occasionally  a street fight would occur with other neighborhood corners. I was one of them scared guys and did not like to fight. I was more into the dances that were held in different areas of the city and was more into meeting the girls. I did not like high school and after graduating, did not attend college.

I enjoyed going down the Jersey shore, driving my “65” GTO, going to dances and hanging on the corner. Never did the sports thing either. I held different jobs after high school. Tried being a plumber for a year, then got into a print shop. I continued a couple different jobs in the printing field advancing myself with each one. I was a pretty good worker, and liked printing.

In the late “60’s”, a lot of guys from my neighborhood were getting drafted, few enlisted. I just didn’t care one way or the other about the draft or the war. When I got drafted, I just said OK and went. I didn’t really know too much about Vietnam, paid no attention to the protests. Drugs were all around in my neighborhood, but I never indulged or got into them, never drank that much either. It just didn’t phase me.

My family was more upset than I was. My mother had been dating my father during World War II. He was at Pearl Harbor when it was bombed. So they both knew about war. The author James Jones was in my father’s company and wrote “From Here to Eternity”. That book’s characters were based on the real men in that company. but a lot of fiction was added. My father was “Friday” in the book (Salvatore Clark, the wop from Scranton) they really called him Friday in the service. The guys all used to have reunions together, Stewart (Prewitt) and the Warden etc. all except Maggio (that was his real name they used.). My father is an Honorary member of The James Jones Society. He was also a local musician who recorded country and Western music. Traveled the same circuit as Bill Haley and the Comets and were friends.

After the service, I worked as a printer a short time, then went into roofing. I started my own roofing business in 1979 and had a very good business. My only problem was, I liked going to the nite clubs and drinking every night. I started that as soon as I got home from Vietnam and didn’t stop until 1994, then it was  I would just go out once or twice a week. I sold my roofing business and worked as a sales consultant for a local roofing firm doing commercial roofing, and a part time employee at The Home Depot in the evenings. I started Real Estate in 1999 in Bucks County PA and moved to Mt Laurel New Jersey in 2000 where I am a successful Real estate Agent.

I never married and have no children. I have had several relationships over the years, but enjoyed going out too much to get totally involved with one girl. I never had a serious problem with drinking, I just liked the nite life.

I got involved with the Veterans Organizations after getting together with members of my squad (6 members) in 1985. I have enjoyed helping other veterans in many ways. Since 1985, I have been a part of the Ripcord Association and try to help in any way I can.

            Vietnam Experience:

I had no idea what Vietnam was going to be like. I went up North and got into Alpha company. The guys I was with from the beginning were the guys I ended up with (with the exception of a few).

I kind of call myself dumb over there, cause I just was there. I was not a leader. Guys like Koger, Webster, Evans, Janezic, in fact all the guys in my squad were pretty together. I trusted them, I felt safe as I could feel, but I was still scared. Sometimes I think I was too scared to cry.  I didn’t know too many other than my squad and platoon. Again, because I was just there. I didn’t want to be a hero, I didn’t want to fight, I just wanted to do my time and come home. I was young, we all were, but some of these guys, even though they were my age, they seemed so much older.

I got close with my squad members and some of the others in my platoon, because most of the time we just sat out in the boonies for days. We would talk about our families, girl friends, cars, just about everything. We were together 24 hours a day, side by side, slept next to each other to keep warm, for days, weeks even months at a time. We all were together, but we were all scared even if we never admitted to each other. You have no choice but to bond. These were my friends then and today they are still my friends, no matter what.

I hung around with a lot of kids when I was growing up, and had a lot of friends.  The past 25 years of going out every night, I met a lot of people and got a lot of friends. being involved with the veterans organizations, I met a lot of other Vietnam Veterans whom I hold a lot of respect for, and made a lot of friends. These friends I have met over my lifetime, I spent a lot of time with some of them. A few hours a day or once a week, or even less, and they are good friends. But the friendship or bonding could never be the same as that I made with the guys I spent 24 hours a day with for months through the fun, fear and trauma we shared together. I’ll never be as close or respect anyone as I do them.        

It was in 1985 when my squad in Alpha Co. has got together. Ron Janezic, Joe Evans, Jim Aanonsen, Carl Dykstra, George Westerfelt, their families and myself got together down Seaside, NJ for a few days. That was a great time.  I now look forward to getting together every year at the reunions. We are older now and more mature than the younger years. But one thing we will always have to share with each other and that is the True Bonding that others will never experience.