CHARLES
D. MC CLURG
In-Country 11 Aug 67
KIA 25 Dec 67
Panel 32E, Line 058
E-3, 16931818
MOS 13A10, Age 18
"C" Battery
Bangor, MI
His closest friends called him
"Bruce". He was assigned to the Hq & Hqtrs Battery
and detailed to "C" Battery where he was KIA.
Tribute to PFC Charles McClurg from Sp4
Leon "Lee" Dixon:
I also knew Charles McClurg very well (he preferred to be called just
"Bruce" for some reason). We were both from Michigan, but he was
younger than me. We talked all the time and he kinda looked up to me. He was
also an "RA" and told me he put his age up to get in, so I still
wonder today what his real age was... especially as listed. And while he is
listed as "C" Battery on the 2/9th Arty website, he was actually
originally part of my commo team in the Headquarters battery and got himself
transferred over to Battalion HQ...which then farmed him out from there to a
deeper field battery (FO party in the field). His death is always listed as
December 25th, 1967, but I very well remember that he was actually killed on
Christmas eve. And the letter from the fellow on your site matches exactly what
I was told over the radio that night as to how he died. I was one of the first
to hear since I was commo. I ran the HQ radios, radio teletype and crypto
machines. I remember us soldiers in a tent in Duc Pho crying tears that night
over news of his death. He slept in the same tent with us until his transfer and
he was a good friend of mine. I think of him often. In fact, when he left our
unit, he actually believed he was not coming back. I tried to convince him
otherwise, but he gave me his cigarette lighter and Kodak camera "to keep
in case I don't return"... which I still have to this day. I have often
thought of trying to contact his family and sending them these items. {See
Photo below}