More detail on this person: A very good man
and a friend of mine by the name of Charles
Presnell died on May 4, 2003. Charlie served 2
tours in Vietnam as a Huey Pilot and I have been
told was nominated for the Congressional Medal of
Honor, but instead received a silver star and a
couple of add-ons. I could never get him to talk
about his days in Vietnam, but people that had
known him a lot longer than I had, told me that he
had been quite a hero in Vietnam. This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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Date posted on this site:
03/10/2024
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I would really like to learn what this really
Great guy and Good friend actually did to deserve
a Medal of Honor nomination.
I would appreciate any advice that you could give
me about learning more about Charlie and what he
did to be nominated.
From: George Moore, GEROOM@webtv.net
I went through flight school with Charlie in class
67-24. He and I were good friends while in flight
school. I'm very sorry to hear that he has passed
on.
I was in Vietnam at the same time as Charlie. I
was stationed in Long Bihn at 1st Aviation Brigade
HQ when Charlie was nearby flying combat assault
missions. I flew with him on a number of
occasions when I got bored to tears in the HQ. We
flew a couple of times and took enemy fire each
time. Charlie was a platoon leader at the time
and I had limited combat time.
I don't know anything about a second tour, and I
didn't see him after I left Vietnam in February
1969. After my HQ time as avionics officer (about
9 months in Long Binh), I transferred to the 35th
Engr Group in Qui Nhon and later at Cam Rahn
Bay. Charlie had done it all - airborne,
pathfinder and Huey pilot. If anybody looked like
he could be a hero, that would be Charlie.
Sorry I can't provide any more details, but I do
know he served as a platoon leader with a flight
of Hueys behind him. I'll never forget touching
down in the delta with Charlie at the head of a
flight of Huey's loaded with infantry troops,
taking so much fire we left the action to set down
and check out the holes and mechanicals. That
day we took a round about a inch or two above
Charlie's head through the left side door frame.
He laughed it off, as you might expect. Charlie
was one of the good ones.
From: Bob Post