CARL WAYNE HUGHES
| Specialist Four Carl Wayne Hughes
Company C, 1st Battalion 5th Infantry Regiment [Mechanized], 25th Infantry Division United States Army Carl Wayne Hughes, a 20-year-old single
soldier in the United States Army, was born November 26, 1948, in the Adel
District of Cook County, Georgia. His Military Number was 53705762;
his MOS [Military Occupational Specialty] was 11B10. The "11B" portion
of the code indicates he was an infantryman; the "10" portion indicates
the level of infantryman's skill
Specialist Hughes was a casualty of the Vietnam War, dying in action on March 15, 1969 in Binh Duong Province, Republic of Vietnam. His body was returned to the states; his grave is located in the family plot in the Brushy Creek Baptist Church Cemetery. His name appears on the Vietnam Memorial Wall on Panel 29W, Line 45. He was the son of Walter Leon Hughes and his wife, the former Myrtle Linda Gray. He was the second of eight children in the family. Carl entered the first grade in the fall of 1954 at Turner Elementary School in Albany, Dougherty County, Georgia. His second grade year found him at Isabella Elementary School in the same city. In the fall of 1956 Carl entered Lenox Grammar School as a third grader; the family lived on Route 1, Lenox, Cook County, Georgia. Beginning with his fourth grade year, Carl
was a student of Adel Elementary School. He finished his elementary
years at Adel, and entered Cook High School as an eighth grader in the
fall of 1961. Carl graduated from Cook High School on June 7, 1966.
He worked on the farm in the months following completion of high school.
On May 1, 1968 he completed a
From Jacksonville he was sent to the United States Army Training Center, Infantry, at Fort Polk, Louisiana where he took a battery of aptitude tests on May 17-18. He began formal training on May 27, 1968, as a recruit in Company A, Second Battalion, First Training Brigade. Basic training was completed on July 19, 1968 at which time his records show he was qualified in the use of the M-14 and M-60 weapons. On this same date Carl was afforded the benefit of "Accelerated Advancement to Private E2". On August 5, 1968, Private Hughes began Advanced Infantry Training at Fort Polk. He was in Company E, 2nd Battalion, 5th AIT Brigade, United States Army Training Center, Infantry. On October 4, 1968, Private Hughes left Fort Polk, Louisiana. He was enroute to Fort Benning, Georgia. The following day, October 5, he officially entered Basic Airborne Training as a member of the 42nd Company, Class #14, 4th Student Battalion (Airborne). Two days later on October 7, 1968, he was again promoted; his new rank was Private, First Class [PFC-E3]. On November 26, 1968, Carl's twentieth birthday, he commenced his overseas tour of duty in Vietnam. On December 4, 1968, according to a letter home, he was finally assigned to a specific fighting unit. He was placed in Company C, 1st Battalion [Mechanized], 5th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. Killed in action on March 15, 1969, the
"Report of Casualty" was received in the department on March 17.
Cook County Man Killed
The family of Spec. 4 Carl Wayne Hughes were notified Tuesday of his death at the hands of hostile action in Vietnam on Saturday, March 15. Reports are incomplete, but it is known that he received mortal wounds from small arms fire at an area about 40 miles northeast of Saigon. Sgt. McDaniel of Thomasville, an Army representative, made the notification and said more information on the nature of Spec. 4 Hughes' death would be available in 24-48 hours. A 1966 graduate of Cook High School, Hughes, 20, entered the Army May 13, 1968 and received his basic training at Ft. Polk, La. He had been in Viet Nam for four months, having left on his birthday, November 26. He was a member of the Hornet football team
while at Cook High, playing halfback.
Survivors include his parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Walter L. Hughes, Sr., of Cecil; two brothers, W. L. Hughes, Jr., and Ronnie
Hughes, Adel; five sisters, Donna, Wanda, Bonnie, Cathy and Christy Hughes,
all of Adel; grandparents Mrs. Viola Hughes of Lenox and Mr. and Mrs. Luther
Gray of Sparks.
Ellis W. Williamson, Major General and Commander
of the 25th Infantry Division,
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
Mr. and Mrs. Walter L. Hughes
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Hughes: The officers and men of the 25th Infantry Division join me in extending our deepest and sincerest sympathy for the loss of your son, Carl. He was a truly fine, outstanding soldier whose ability, spirit, and devotion to his country made him a valued and highly respected member of this division and the United States Army. We in the 25th Division remain dedicated to uphold and advance those principles which your son so valiantly defended. We are determined to do all in our power to insure that his great sacrifice will not have been in vain. The burden of grief you bear is difficult to lighten with words. Our thoughts are with you; and we pray that you will find comfort in your faith, your family, and your friends. We in the division are available to assist you in any way possible. Sincerely,
The April 3, 1969, edition of Cook High School's student newspaper, The Stinger, carried a picture of Carl in uniform, along with the following story which appeared under a two-column headline on the front page. CHS Graduate Is
Pfc. Carl Hughes, a 1966 graduate of Cook
High, was killed in action in Vietnam on Saturday, March 15.
While attending Cook High, Carl was an active
athlete, participating in football, track, and wrestling. From the
time of his graduation until he entered the service in May he was a farmer.
Pfc. Hughes is survived by his parents,
Mr. and Mrs. Walter L. Hughes, Sr.; two brothers, five sisters; his maternal
grandmother [sic, grandparents] and his paternal grandfather [sic,
Captain Joseph F. Bane, PFC Hughes' commanding officer in Company C, wrote to the Hughes family on April 17, 1969. COMPANY "C"
Mr. and Mrs. Walter L. Hughes
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Hughes, I extend my most profound sympathy to you on the recent loss of your son, Private First Class Carl W. Hughes, a member of this unit, who died in the service of his country. During the morning of March 15, 1969, at approximately 1:20 A.M., Carl was participating in a reconnaissance in force mission in hostile territory near Cu Chi, Province of Binh Duong, Republic of Vietnam. Carl received severe head injuries when he was struck by fragments from an enemy anti-tank rocket. It may afford you some consolation to know that death came quickly and Carl was spared any unnecessary pain. News of your son's death comes as a distinct shock to all who knew him and his loss will be deeply felt in this unit. Carl's pleasant nature coupled with his ability to perform his duties in an outstanding manner made him an exemplary soldier. It may provide some small measure of comfort to know that the officers
and men of Company C share your bereavement. Memorial services
will be held when the battalion returns from the
Sincerely yours,
A letter written on June 2, 1969, informed
the Hughes family of posthumous awards for Carl. The letter also
stated that a representative would be contacting the family to schedule
formal presentation of the awards. The contents of the letter follow:
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
AGPB-AC Hughes, Carl W.
Mr. and Mrs. Walter L. Hughes, Sr.
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Hughes: I have the honor to inform you that your son has been awarded posthumously the Bronze Star Medal with First Oak Leaf Cluster for heroism, Purple Heart and the Good Conduct Medal. Prior to death, Carl had been awarded the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Ribbon, Combat Infantry Badge, Expert Badge with machine gun bar and the Marksman Badge with automatic rifle and rifle bars. Arrangements are being made to have these awards presented to you in the near future by a representative of the Commanding General, Third United States Army. The representative selected will communicate with you in the next few weeks to arrange for presentation. Any inquiry or correspondence concerning presentation should be addressed to the Commanding General, third United States Army, Fort McPherson, Georgia 30330. My continued sympathy is with you. Sincerely,
A story in the Wednesday, July 9, 1969 edition of The Adel News reported the posthumous awards ceremony held the preceding week. The story stated: Parents Receive Medal Awards Made Posthumously
Awards including two Bronze Star medals and the Purple Heart have been made posthumously to Pfc. Carl Hughes of Route 1, Adel, Georgia. The awards were presented to Pfc. Hughes parents, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Hughes of Adel at ceremonies in the Hughes home on Wednesday, July 2nd. Making the awards were Lt. Col. Charles P. Townsend and Captain Edward J. Deneberg of Tallahassee, Florida. Pfc. Hughes was killed in Vietnam March
15, 1969 while on a patrol with his unit. The citation presented
to Mr. and Mrs. Hughes stated that when Pfc. Hughes patrol came under heavy
enemy fire, he acted with total disregard for his own safety, by covering
the retreat of his patrol by laying down covering fire until he was fatally
wounded by enemy rocket fire while
One Bronze Star presented was for heroism.
Other medals presented included the Good Conduct Medal, National Defense
Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Combat Infantryman
Badge, Expert Badge with machine gun bar and the Marksmanship
Those attending the Ceremonies with Mr.
and Mrs. Hughes were his brother Ronnie, sisters Donna, Wanda, Bonnie,
Jo and Christy. His grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Luther Gray and
Carl was awarded his second Bronze Star
["V" Device used for Oak Leaf Cluster] for his actions on March 15, 1969,
the day of his death. As cited on General Orders Number 6257, the
For heroism in connection with military
operations against a hostile force: PrivateHughes distinguished himself
by heroic actions on 15 March 1969, while serving with Company C, 1st Battalion,
5th Infantry [Regiment, 25th Infantry Division] in the Republic of Vietnam.
While on a reconnaissance in force mission, Company C came in contact with
a large enemy force. Private Hughes was a member of the lead element
and put out a devastating burst of
Finally, Private Hughes was fatally wounded
by the intense hostile fire. Private Hughes' personal bravery, aggressiveness
and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the
military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, the 25th
Infantry Division
Carl's military marker reads: Carl Wayne Hughes
|
If you have anything to add to Carl's tribute
please email it to Randy@Bobcat.ws*
BACK - 5th
Infantry Chapter