Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Memorial Day seen as time to remember

Memorial Day is Monday, May 30, and the barbecue plans are being made all over the country, but at least one Gurdon man will be thinking about some soldier friends of his that made the ultimate sacrifice.

Retired Army Colonel Charles Bullard, of Gurdon, said Wednesday he would think of Marlin Godwin, an ex-Marine from El Dorado, Arkansas, who grew up in Louisiana.

"I will think of several soldiers that were lost during my 36 years of active duty in the service," Col. Bullard said. "Marlin and I were in ROTC together in 1960. He was infantry and I was armor (transportation). He was killed in 1966. They buried Marlin in Louisiana.

"I could name a lot more. Sure, I sometimes wonder why they died and I lived on, but most Memorial Days I just let it slide as another day."

Col. Bullard said the message he would like to get across to the public is one of support. He said the current war in Iraq is being fought because Americans are trying to establish and protect democracy.

"I am a Vietnam era veteran and that is exactly what we were doing over there for 10 years, trying to establish a democracy and hoping those folks in South Vietnam would get ready to accept it.

"I cannot say whether or not we would have won the war if the American public would have backed the soldiers because I am not sure the South Vietnamese would have ever accepted a democracy.

"But I can say we did not lose the battle in Vietnam, but we lost the war over politics."

As to Memorial Day 2005, Col. Bullard said more than 58,000 American soldiers lost their lives in Vietnam.

He said the Iraq inception was in 2002, and the soldiers who have lost lives to date number approximately 1,600.

"It is unfortunate that we went to Iraq trying to find weapons of mass destruction that were not found, but I think we did the right thing by going. Saddam Hussein was a butcher and needed to be stopped," Col. Bullard said. "Nobody likes to lose lives. I lost enough of them in my own companies in Vietnam. The Iraqi people thought they were ready for democracy, but they have been disgruntled over our timing in fixing electrical problems. They need to realize they had pretty severe electrical problems and things take time. I think our stay in Iraq may last five or six more years.

"The Iraqi people are doing more to get a democratic government up and running than was done in Vietnam, but it still may be a slow process."

In keeping with a Memorial Day spirit, Col. Bullard said he would like to convey to the public "no matter what you think of our war effort, don't ever make any negative thoughts known.

"Our soldiers are involved because they want to be. There are approximately 130,000 American soldiers in Iraq and it is an all volunteer Army. They know it is dangerous. They believe in what they are doing to help Iraq have a free country and we at home should back that."

Col. Bullard graduated Gurdon High School in 1956 and has a photograph of himself catching a football for the Go-Devils that he enjoys looking at with a smile.

From high school he went right into the Navy, where he served four years. Upon completing the Navy time, Col. Bullard attended and graduated Henderson State Teaching College from 1960-64 with a bachelor of science in education, teaching degree. This is now Henderson State University in Arkadelphia.

During his college years, Col. Bullard spent time in the National Guard and joined the ROTC in 1962.

"So instead of teaching, I made a life in the Army and was in it until I retired in 1992, after 36 years and three months of total service to my country," Col. Bullard said.

Col. Bullard praised Col. Austin Capps, Gurdon businessman, "as my inspiration and mentor."

He said his own experiences with combat included two tours in Vietnam, while Capps was mostly of the World War II era.

"Even though we went through similar situations," Col. Bullard said, "the World War II vets set the pace for us. Here is one Vietnam vet that salutes the World War II vets."

Col. Bullard was in Vietnam from 1966 until 1967, and then again from 1970 until 1971.

He said at the end of his second tour, the United States had already started moving people out and shutting the war down.

Col. Bullard said the American soldier was in Vietnam for the same reason any other soldier in United States history has gone to war  because they believed in the spreading of freedom and democracy and their country asked them to go fight for that belief.

"I can not say it enough, respect our soldiers," Col. Bullard said. "When I came back from Vietnam to Los Angeles, Calif., I was spit on. That was an obvious moral buster.

"But then we found out some gray-haired grandmas were fighting for the rights of us soldiers, and that boosted our spirits considerably."

Col. Bullard said he knows four-star General Tommy Franks, who was originally in charge of the Armed Forces in Iraq and had worked with him in the Vietnam era, and also knows Hugh Shelton, the Joint Chief of Staff of the Armed Services for Iraq.

"When I saw my two old buddies were going to Iraq to help it become a democracy, I missed the service and wanted to be there with them," Bullard said. "I could see they were still trying to save the world and I miss that."

Bullard is the 9-1-1 Emergency Services coordinator for Clark County.

He currently has a nephew, Chris Bullard, a 1992 Gurdon High School graduate, who is in Iraq on his second tour. He is scheduled to be home in September.

Staff Sgt. Chris Bullard left Feb. 12 and is a platoon sergeant for a maintenance outfit.

"He works on big tanks and small engines," Col. Bullard said.

"He is an example of someone going where his country asked him too. Chris has a wife and three boys, and is still serving his country."

Bullard said he was a green young man when he started his career in the service and his experiences helped him develop and learn. He is married to Eva Bullard, and he expects to spend Memorial Day with her and his two daughters, his son-in-law and maybe a couple of grandchildren.

The daughters are Stacey Bullard and Kim King, with husband Mark King, and grandchildren Charles and Cassie Carter.

"Normally, we are together on holidays, although I have not heard the plans for certain yet," Col. Bullard said.

"Whatever we do, I will think of soldiers that have gone on before me and memories. You cannot help thinking of them. I feel I have done well as 9-1-1 coordinator, but after all the time spent in service I cannot help but wish I was back in."

Col. Bullard said he realizes there are several veterans in the Gurdon area but knows of no formal Memorial Day ceremony planned.

"Art Cooper, of our American Legion, might be planning something. I am sure if a person is looking for a Memorial Day service, that would be a good place to start," he said. "Wherever you are celebrating, take a moment to realize what the day stands for. It is not only about picnics and having fun, it is about those who have fought for our country.

"If you see an American soldier home from Iraq, give them the encouragement they deserve. Don't ever let this turn into another Vietnam, where are own people have lost respect for those fighting for them."