lest we forget

RUSH, CHARLES GLYNN JR.

Rank / Branch:

GUNNERY SERGEANT, U.S. MARINES

Date Of Birth:

1936-09-12

Country Of Loss:

SOUTH VIETNAM

Status:

HOSTILE, MULTIPLE FRAGMENT WOUNDS

Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground:

GROUND

Other:

MARRIED

Unit:

FIRST MARINE DIVISION

Date Of Loss:

1969-04-21

Loss Coordinates:

QUANG TRI

Catagory:

BODY RETURNED

Awards & Decorations:

SEE BIO

VETERAN HAGI0GRAPHY

RUSH, CHARLES GLYNN, JR., GUNNERY SERGEANT, U.S. MARINE CORP, MIDLAND, MIDLAND COUNTY, TEXAS

AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

PARACHUTE WINGS, MEDICAL BADGE, BRONZE STAR WITH V DEVICE AND GOLD STAR, PURPLE HEART, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL-THREE AWARDS, NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL, VIETNAM SERVICE MEDAL, VIETNAM CROSS OF GALLANTRY WITH PALM, VIETNAM CAMPAIGN MEDAL, MARINE CORP COMBAT ACTION RIBBON

BIOGRAPHY

Born September 14, 1936, Gunny Rush was born in Jackson, Tennessee to the marriage of Elizabeth Ferguson and Charles Glynn Rush. His father worked on the railroad. He had a brother, Larry and a sister. Barbara. Charles, Jr. attended school in Jackson. He graduated from Jacksonville High in 1955 School. He enjoyed playing football, fishing and golf. He married his high school sweetheart, Emilie Copher. He was the father of a daughter, Theresa Rene and a son, William Glynn.
He joined the Marine Corps in 1955 after graduation with the intention of making it his career. He rose to the rank of Gunnery Sergeant and had been in the Marine Corp 14 years prior to his death in Vietnam on April 21,1969. During career in the Marine Corpe, he had served in Portsmouth and North Folk Virginia; Camp Pendleton, California; Cherry Point, North Carolina; Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; and completed several Mediterranean Cruises. He had served as a drill instructor at Parris Island, South Carolina for four years before his Vietnam tour. He had served as a drill instructor at Parris Island, South Carolina for four years before his Vietnam tour.
He began his tour of Vietnam on August 12, 1968, and was assigned as a platoon sergeant for D Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regimen, 1st Marine Division. On March 19, 1969, he was in the field with his troops when a landmine was spotted by a marine. Sgt Rush disarmed it and in the process of moving back toward his troops, he stepped on a booby trapped "tomato" can. It exploded and he was seriously injured receiving multiple fragmentation wounds throughout his body and to his leg. He was medevac'd to a hospital ship. He underwent several surgeries to include pinning his leg and several exploratory surgeries to remove shrapnel and debris from his internal organs. His daughter stated every time he would be going into surgery, he would call home. On April 21, 1969, he was scheduled to be moved to the Great Lakes Naval Base Hospital, near Chicago, when he died of his wounds.
He was buried with full military honors in the Higland Memorial Cemetry in North Jackson, Tennessee. He was survived by his wife, his daughter Teresa and his son, Chip and his parents, then of Jackson, Tennessee. His daughter stated, "Daddy loved to fish, he bought us matching tackle boxes/poles. He also liked to hunt, he enjoyed cooking and having a BBQ for his friends, he was a good cook. He loved the ocean/beach, and he was a very proud and loving man who loved his family and his beloved Marine Corp."
After Charles, death, his parents moved to Midland, Texas to live near his sister. His sister was active in the development of the Permian Basin Vietnam Veteran's Memorial. His mother is buried in Resthaven in Midland, Texas and his father in Jackson, Tennessee.