Name: Charlie Freeman Sawler Rank: Specialist Fourth Class Service Number: 183995257 Service: 5th Special Force Group, US Army Vietnam (USARV) Company C, 1st Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division Awards: Silver Star, Bronze Star Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart, Army Commendation, National Defense Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal Date of Birth: September 22, 1939 Place of Birth: Martins Point, Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia Date of Enlistment: Unknown Date of Death: October 4, 1967 Age at Death: 27 Cemetery: Western Shore Cemetery, Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia Remembered on Panel 27E, Line 50 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, DC Remembered on the Canadian Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Windsor, Ontario Charlie Freeman Sawler was the son of Angus Howard "Andrew" Sawler (1896-1969) and Florence Celeste (Wile) Sawler (1912-2011). Some records, as well as some of Charlie’s relatives, spell the surname as Sauler. Before serving in the US Army, Charlie served with the First Battalion of Royal Canadian Regiment, while in Germany from 1962-1965. He trained at Ipperwash, Ontario, beginning in approximately 1962 and later served at Fort York in Soest, Germany, with the 1st Battalion, Company B, Royal Canadian Regiment. Having transferred to the US Army, Charlie then served with Company C, 1st Battalion of the 2nd Infantry Regiment; a unit of the 1st Infantry Division in the US Army. With orders for Vietnam, Michael began his tour of duty in the war zone on December 1, 1966. On October 4, 1967, while serving in Binh Duong Province, South Vietnam, Specialist 4th Class Charlie Freeman Sawler was hit and killed by small arms fire. Also killed that day from the 1st Battalion of the 2nd Infantry Regiment were: Captain Howard M. Gerstel of Hewlett, New York Sergeant Craig A. Verlinden of El Sobrante, California Specialist 4th Class Terrance H. Schneider of Montrose, Michigan Specialist 4th Class Donald G. Schrenk of Buena Vista, Colorado Charlie Sawler is interred at the Western Shore Cemetery in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia.

Charlie Freeman Sawler

Sources: findagrave – Western Shore Cemetery findagrave – Vietnam Veterans War Memorial uswarmemorial.org The VirtualWall.org The Wall of Faces by the Vietnam War Memorial Fund (background photo: Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall)