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<em>Charles Martin “Chuck” Titus</em> was one of the most respected and admired members of our Class, the epitome of what West Point represents. With his square, set chin, fixed eyes and chiseled body, he was a poster boy for West Point. He was totally dedicated to Duty, Honor, Country and possessed unlimited po­tential. Alas, his family and his country lost a courageous and extraordinary American on a battlefield in Viet Nam.</p>
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Chuck, one of five children, was born in Elmira, NY, to Martin Jasper and Pauline Westlake Titus. In 1951, his family moved to Jacksonville, FL, where he attended high school, excelling in academics and athletics. He was a member of the National Honor Society and a stalwart on the varsity foot­ball team.</p>
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After high school, he joined the Army and, while stationed at Ft. Carson, CO, received an appointment to West Point and attended the U.S. Military Academy Preparatory School.</p>
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Chuck entered the Academy on 3 Jul 1956 and was quickly recognized for his outstand­ing military aptitude, dedication and leader­ship ability. His physical prowess, boundless energy and ability to work with others in a team effort pushed Chuck to the forefront of his class. He was the Secretary of the Class Committee, served on the Ring and Crest Committee, was a Chapel Acolyte and played varsity lacrosse. His hard work and leadership resulted in his appointment as commander of the 2nd Regiment during First Class Year. First Captain Charlie Otstott remembers Chuck’s very business-like manner and his willingness to shoulder more than his fair share of lead­ership challenges. Despite his physical prow­ess and competitive nature, Chuck met his match while home on leave after Plebe year. Accepting a blind date, he found himself play­ing miniature golf with Peggy Wiggins. She beat him soundly, and Chuck was hooked. They were married in the Cadet Chapel on graduation day, and their picture appeared in the <em>New York Mirror</em> and the <em>Washington Post. </em>Son Ronald was born in May 1961 and son David in April 1962.</p>
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Chuck completed Ranger and Airborne training before going to Ft. Sill for the Field Artillery Basic Course. Due to his supe­rior physical conditioning and attitude, the Ranger School cadre picked him as the com­pany executive officer for the course. Chuck’s first assignment was with the 82nd Airborne Division Artillery at Ft. Bragg, NC, as a bat­tery executive officer and then battery com­mander. He also was selected as the Lieutenant of the Year for the division artillery.</p>
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After completing guerrilla warfare and Vietnamese language training, Chuck was as­signed as an advisor to a Vietnamese artillery battalion in Quang Ngai in May 1963. With the help of a classmate, Ted Danielson, he re­ceived a transfer to the Vietnamese Airborne Division. As a result, Chuck transferred to the Infantry and attended the Infantry Officers Career Course at Ft. Benning, where he was a distinguished graduate.</p>
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Chuck, Peggy and the two boys then went to Ft. Dix, NJ, where Chuck commanded a training company. He worked hard to ensure his soldiers were properly prepared for their missions and was the inspiration for one to attend West Point and graduate in 1970. While at Dix, orders for a second Viet Nam tour arrived. Asked why he was going back, he replied, “Because I am a soldier. That’s where I belong.”</p>
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Chuck was assigned to 1st Battalion (Airborne), 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, to command A Company and quickly earned the respect and confidence of his soldiers, his peers, and his battalion com­mander. Tragically, on 28 Jan 1967, while on an operation in Phu Cat District, Chuck was mortally wounded. One of his soldiers had found an enemy pack and brought it into the command post. The booby-trapped enemy pack exploded, killing Chuck and two of his soldiers. Comments from his unit members reflect the affection they had for their com­mander. A platoon leader: “He was a hard task master, but no harder on his men than he was on himself, and I quickly grew to appreciate his abilities as a commander.” His First Sergeant: “We would have followed him anywhere to accomplish any task, regardless of the difficul­ties involved.” A PFC: “... there will never be a man who we all loved. He was a man who took good care of his troops, who will always be in the hearts and minds of Company A.”</p>
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Chuck was first flown home to Jacksonville, where he lay in state in the church that he and Peggy recently had joined. The congregation had gotten to know and admire Chuck from the letters he had written to the young min­ister, who had shared them from the pulpit. His memorial service was attended by almost the entire congregation. Chuck was buried in the West Point Cemetery, with family, class­mates, his former training cadre from Ft. Dix and friends attending. After his first Viet Nam tour, Chuck was awarded the Bronze Star, the Air Medal and several Viet Nam medals. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and the Legion of Merit.</p>
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Peggy raised her two sons and never re­married. After 20 years as an advocate for teachers and school employees with the Ohio Education Association, she retired in 1994. She later moved to Raleigh, NC, and worked full time again, retiring in 2005. She currently acts as a hostess for a U.S. State Department program bringing professional people from the former USSR Republics to study American business and government practices, and her garden was on a national tour sponsored by the Garden Conservancy in September 2008.</p>
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Chuck Titus was respected, admired and loved by all who knew him. He touched many lives: soldiers, family and friends. Peggy wrote Charlie Otstott, in 1967, that she hoped that she could “...instill in his sons the strength of character, the love of life, the ability to use ones talents to the fullest, and the humility and kindness which made their father a man among men.” A perfect description of Charles Martin Titus.</p>
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Grip hands! Well done, Chuck Titus. Be thou at peace. ‘Till we meet again.’ God Bless You.</p>
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<em>—Collaborative effort of Class of ’60 classmates.</em></p>