More detail on this person: COLUMBIA - Lt.
Gen. Charles Wilson Bagnal died Tuesday, June
30, 2015. Born in Mont Clare, SC on April 15,
1934, he was a son of the late William Kenneth
Bagnal, Sr. and Clara Wilson Bagnal. He grew up in
Florence, South Carolina where he attended public
schools graduating from McClenaghan High School
in 1952. He was a member of the National Honor
Society, a Marshall, president of the Key Club,
lettered in football and was an all-state guard.
During his senior year he was president of the
student body and was voted by his classmates as
the most popular and best all around. He was a
member of First Baptist Church in Florence and
was active in all student programs. Upon
graduation from high school he entered the United
States Military Academy at West Point, New York
on July 1, 1952. He graduated on June 5, 1956 and
was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in artillery
and also became an army aviator. The day after
graduation at high noon on June 6, 1956 Charles
married Patsy Smith, a high school classmate
whom he had known since the second grade. After
a series of operational assignments in aviation
and artillery units at Fort Campbell, Kentucky,
Hanau, Germany, and Fort Sill, Oklahoma, in 1966
Bagnal deployed to Vietnam as a Major where he
commanded C Troop, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry,
1st Cavalry Division. He returned to Vietnam as a
Lt. Colonel in 1971 where he commanded the 52nd
Combat Aviation Battalion. In 1969-1971 Bagnal
was the Military Assistant to the Secretary of the
Army. Other significant assignments included:
Chief, Staff Management Division, Office of the
Chief of Staff, U.S. Army; Deputy Director of the
Army Staff, Office of the Chief of Staff, U.S.
Army; Commander, 101st Aviation Group, 101st
Airborne Division (Air Assault); Assistant
Division Commander, 101st Airborne Division (Air
Assault); Deputy Superintendent, U.S. Military
Academy, West Point, New York; Director, Office
Personnel Management, U.S. Army Military
Personnel Center Special Assistant to the Deputy
Chief of Staff for Personnel, U.S. Army. In
1981-1983 Bagnal was the Commanding General of
the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) which,
24 years earlier was his first assignment as a
lieutenant. From 1983-1985 he was Deputy
Commanding General for Training at the U.S. Army
Training and Doctrine Command and the Army
Inspector General for Training. From 1985-1989
General Bagnal was Commanding General of the
United States Army Western Command where he
commanded all U.S. Army forces in the Pacific to
include U.S. Army, Alaska and U.S. Army, Japan
less those forces in South Korea. In March, 1987
General Bagnal was nominated for 4 stars by
President Reagan as Commanding General of the
U.S. Army in the Pacific, but the U.S. Senate
never took action on this nomination, as Senator
Glenn who headed the Senate Armed services
Personnel Committee decided we did not need
another 4 star in the Pacific. Among General
Bagnal's awards and decorations are the
Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster,
Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze
Star Medal, 31 Air Medals, Presidential Unit
Citation with oak leaf cluster, Master Army
Aviator Badge and Air Assault Badge. His foreign
decorations include the Vietnamese Cross of
Gallantry with gold and bronze stars, Vietnam
Gallantry Cross Unit Citation with palm and
Vietnam Civil Actions Medal with oak leaf cluster.
General Bagnal also has been decorated by the
Heads of State of Japan, Thailand, Malaysia and
South Korea. General Bagnal was a graduate of the
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College,
the U.S. Army War College, held a BS degree from
West Point, an MS degree in Aerospace
Engineering from Georgia Tech and upon retiring
from the Army obtained a Juris Doctor degree from
the University of South Carolina. He practiced law
with the Ratchford Law Firm in Columbia from
1995-2005. Since retiring from the practice of
law, Charles helped and advised many veterans
seeking assistance with VA disability benefits and
other legal matters on a pro bono basis. Charles
was a life member of the 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry
Association, the 101st Airborne Division
Association, the 1st Cavalry Division Association,
the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association and the
Military Officers Association of America. He was a
member of the board of Directors of the West Point
Society of Columbia for 12 years and chairman of
the board for 8 years. In 7 of the 8 years of his
chairmanship the association was recognized by
the West Point Association of Graduates as a
distinguished society. In 2009 General Bagnal was
selected by The School Foundation in Florence,
South Carolina as the Distinguished Graduate of
Florence School District One. Charles and Patsy
have been very active in First Baptist Church,
Columbia. Beginning in 1989, Charles taught an
adult Bible Study Class for 4 years, he was
director of Adult 3 Sunday School Department for 4
years and until 2013 served as president of the
Joy of Living Sunday School Class.
On two different occasions he was chairman of fund
raising to build the new sanctuary for First
Baptist Church. Charles and Patsy were married for
59 years.
Mostly, based upon his Army tours of duty, they
have travelled to 108 nations.
Charles is survived by wife, Patsy; sons: Ruben
(wife Charita), Charles, Jr. (wife Linda) and
Joel; grandchildren: Katherine Babb (husband
Adam), John Bagnal (wife Renata), Jordan Bagnal;
Ruchelle Bagnal; Rizza Phillips (husband Richard);
Raquel Bagnal; Shannon Bagnal and McKayla
Bagnal; great grandchildren, Gage Babb and Riley
Grace Phillips.
A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 a.m. at
First Baptist Church, main sanctuary, 1306
Hampton Street, Columbia, SC 29201, Tuesday,
July 7, 2015. There will be a reception for out of
town guests at the Bagnal home at 221 West
Springs Road, Columbia, SC 29223, following the
service. The family will receive friends from 5
until 7:00 p.m. Monday, July 6, 2015, at Dunbar
Funeral Home, Devine Street Chapel. Charles will
be interred 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, July 14, 2014, in
West Point Post Cemetery, West Point, New York.
Memorials may be sent to First Baptist Church,
1306 Hampton Street, Columbia, SC 29201.
Please sign the online guestbook at
www.dunbarfunerals.com
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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