Feb 2017: Charles Edward Mason
US Army, 1967-1992
Born in Tipton County in 1941, Charles Edward Mason graduated from Frazier High School in 1961. In 1967, after helping his grandfather farm in Tipton County for several years, Charles was drafted into the U.S. Army. He began his service in Ft. Benning, Georgia, and was eventually sent to Vietnam as an infantryman for 12 months. It was during this time that he earned and was awarded the Purple Heart. The Army provided Charles an opportunity to visit areas of the world that were previously simply names on a globe. In addition to his tours in Vietnam and in Ft. Knox, Kentucky, as a basic training instructor, he served two tours of duty in Germany, two in Korea, one in Honduras, and one in Panama. He retired in 1992 and returned to Tipton County for his second career: 18 years as a driver and instructor for Swift Transportation.
In addition to the Purple Heart, he was awarded the Air Medal, the Bronze Star, the Vietnam Campaign Medal, the Expert Infantry Badge, and the Combat Infantryman Badge. Charles is a Deacon and Superintendent of Smith Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Brighton. Charles has always appreciated nature and what it provides us. In addition to the enjoyment he received from working on his grandfather’s farm, he has been an avid hunter throughout his life. He is the very proud father of three daughters, two of whom live locally; the third lives in Ft. Benning, Georgia. He also enjoys socializing with his Veteran friends over morning coffee at the local Mcdonald's several times a week.
Two of his granddaughters, Teddrianna Morgan and Jacquana Pearson, nominated him for Veteran of the Month.