Charles William “Chuck” Karwan Jr. was born on January 15, 1947 to Charles and Betty Karwan. They were hard working middle class folks, a chemist and a nurse, raising their two boys, Chuck and Rick, in Cleveland, OH. Chuck was a smart and athletic lad who excelled in both football and wrestling at Garfield Heights High School.
Chuck entered West Point in 1965 and discovered to his great joy that cadets keep their service weapons in the barracks! He took to military training and athletics, and tolerated academics. He validated swimming and wrestling and excelled in the rest, resulting in becoming the number one cadet in PE after plebe year. He played plebe football (“C” squad, as it was known) and in the words of Classmate Kip Nygren, “Chuck had taught Coach Tom Cahill enough about football,” and he moved on. He represented the Academy in wrestling meets around the northeast in free-style and Greco-Roman, winning medals and proving his expertise. His senior year he convinced the Academy to sponsor such a meet at West Point. He did well, giving his classmates a lasting appreciation for his passion, dedication and exceptional wrestling skills.
To Chuck military life meant camping, hiking, guns, knives, and the great outdoors. He excelled at Camp Buckner and was a mainstay in the Military Affairs, Outdoor Sportsman and Woodman’s clubs. As Bob Seitz recalls, “Spring of firstie year Chuck trained and led the USMA team for competition at the inter-collegiate New England Woodsman Championships, returning with third place trophies for axemanship and canoeing. Just before graduation, Chuck led another adventure, this one to explore the abandoned military arsenal/warehouse on Bannerman’s Island, north of West Point in the Hudson River. After crossing the Hudson on small rafts in an early morning fog, his expeditionary team returned several World War I knapsacks, a few old canteens, nothing of genuine value, but another memorable and exciting adventure with Chuck.” Rob Lindsey cannot forget several exciting episodes with Chuck, like the hole in the wall due to an accidental discharge of a museum weapon, or the time in mid-winter Chuck shot a deer while hunting and stored the carcass under his bed in his freezing room (windows wide open) until he could get it to the meat locker. Chuck followed many of the rules but also knew how to work the system and take risks. He often read comic books while sitting in the back pews of mandatory chapel.
One of his most memorable cadet experiences was to participate in a three-week visit to the Bolivian Military Academy in LaPaz with Kip Nygren. As others suffered altitude sickness, Chuck acclimated quickly and thoroughly enjoyed the food and activities. As Kip remembers, “This was the summer that the Cuban revolutionary, Che Guevara, was inciting insurrection in the jungles of Bolivia. Chuck tried his hardest to get us into the fight, but to no avail. However, it did seem to foretell his service with Special Forces.”
Chuck branched Infantry and successfully completed Airborne, Ranger, Infantry basic, and Jungle schools. After a short stint as a platoon leader in the 5th Mech Division at Fort Carson, CO, he was deployed to Vietnam. Assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division, he assumed the duties of an infantry platoon leader. Completely at ease in the wild, a weapons expert through his own efforts, and small unit tactician of the first order, he was ready. He led his troops through hard times and successes, earning their lifelong respect and admiration. He did not lose a soldier under his command; his proudest accomplishment in life. He survived that tour of duty but others did not. The loss of fallen weighed heavy in his heart and affected him the rest of his life.
Returning to the States, Chuck was selected for special forces training and spent the rest of his active career in the 5th and 10th Special Forces Groups. He also re-engaged with Frances Whittle, a beautiful young lady he had first met at West Point. Frances states Chuck’s initial attraction to her was her ability to handle a weapon. Friendship evolved into love. They married and started a family. Their children Kate (USMA ’95), Kerry (USCGA ’97), Jake, and adopted daughter, Jennifer, grew and matured in a loving family and learned the values of character and service.
Chuck pursued his love of wrestling during active duty, while in the Army Reserves, and as a civilian. He was a five-time CISM champion and accumulated numerous medals in inter-service and international competition. He was a highly sought after coach and was an assistant coach for the 1984 U.S. Olympic Wrestling Team. He and Frances also pursued their love of the outdoors settling on the remote, but beautiful, Umpqua River home in Oregon. Chuck authored The Gun Digest Book on Handgunnery and many other pieces on a variety of weaponry. He became a highly sought after legal consultant on anything gun and knife related.
Chuck was his happiest and best as a cadet and an Infantry officer. Chuck loved soldiering, being a coach, mentor, and friend. He spoke highly and often of the people and relationships made during that time. The heart that made him a champion, a respected leader, a sharing husband, and a caring father and foster parent finally gave out. Though many years later, his death was deemed service connected due to heart complications caused by his exposure to Agent Orange. He died September 8, 2008. His ashes were scattered in the ocean waters off his beloved Oregon Coast. May he rest in peace.
— Bob St. Onge, classmate, and Kate Karwan Burgess, daughter