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CHARLIE COMPANY’S 2003 REUNION
About 55 former members of Charlie Company, 1st of the 5th, got together for their annual reunion from June 19th to the 22nd in Townsend, Tennessee, on the edge of the Great Smokey Mountains. This was the tenth annual reunion for men who served in “Charging Charlie” in Vietnam and it had the largest turnout to date, with vets representing just about every phase of the company’s seven years in country, from its initial deployment in 1965 to its return stateside in 1971. Also attending the reunion were a number of wives and partners, as well as some children and grandchildren.
The host of this year’s reunion was Ann Lowry, widow of Bob Lowry, the CO of Charlie Company from late November 1966 until March 1967. Bob had been a key figure in pulling together the reunion in recent years and after the 2002 reunion had volunteered to host this year’s reunion. Unfortunately, he died of a heart attack last November. But Ann, with the help of their daughter Lynn Melvin and the support of many Charlie Company members who had served with Bob, carried on and organized a great event. At our group dinner on the second evening of the reunion, the men who served under his command presented Ann with a plaque in memory of Bob and what he meant to us, both as our CO in Vietnam and as a friend and comrade in arms at our reunions. Although Bob retired as a LTC, he’ll always be Captain Lowry (radio call sign ‘Armored Vest 6’) to those who served with him.
Each evening, we got together for dinner and companionship, with people bringing dishes or chipping in for turkey, southern fried chicken, and even some fried ‘gator’ tail. On Saturday morning we had a pancake breakfast, a tradition started a few reunions ago by Bob Lowry.
A number of people brought slides or photos or other memorabilia from their tours in Vietnam and a few people were surprised to see shots of themselves from 35 years ago that they never knew existed. One Charlie Company vet who attended for the first time was Dean Sharp, who was also a combat photographer for the 1st Cav during 1970. Dean brought a number of his photos from then and also took portraits of many of the vets and their wives or partners who were at the reunion. On Saturday night we were also entertained by the guitar playing and singing of Kirk Randleman, who was in country in 1969-70. Kirk may not have realized it yet, but he may have started another tradition.
Many pictures from both this year’s reunion and Charlie Company’s time in Vietnam can be found on two websites: www.prek.dhs.org/vvets and www.ranger25.com. The first is dedicated just to Charlie Company and the second is dedicated to the 2nd Brigade of the 1st Cav. Both are worth a look. If you have any photos you’d like to see posted on either website, just send them into the webmasters.
The 2004 reunion for Charlie Company will be at Fort Benning, Georgia in early June and will be hosted by Dan Terry, CO of the company from late 1967 to mid-1968. Information will be sent out early next year and will also be posted on the above websites. If you would like to get on the mailing list or e-mail list for Charlie Company, contact Dave Combs at drmcombs@gte.net, Dean Shultis at shultis1946@earthlink.net or Dan Terry at dcterry@knology.net.
Submitted by Steve Hassett, 1966-67, stevehtt@comcast.net.
2002 reunion showing Bob Lowry (standing) with Joe Lyttle, another former CO of Charlie Co in Vietnam (from 6/67 to 12/67 I think)
Also attached in a photo from the reunion showing Ann Lowry with the plaque mentioned in the article, along with her stepdaughter Lynn Melvin, and vets at the reunion who served in C Co under Capt. Lowry.