Called to serve: Lubbock Vietnam veteran left lasting legacy with Texas South Plains Honor Flight

Charlie Scarborough is being remembered for his service to his country during the Vietnam War and later his advocacy for fellow veterans as a founding member of the Texas South Plains Honor Flight after he died July 3.

He was 79.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 11 a.m. Aug. 2 at Lakeridge United Methodist Church at 11:00 a.m.  All veterans are welcome to attend.

He was a Vietnam veteran and battled complications from exposure to Agent Orange for many years. Charlie was part of the original team of veterans who helped bring the Honor Flight to Lubbock. One of the members of that team, Richard Hamilton, recalled, “We were approached by a gentlemen out of the Amarillo Chapter (Navy Chief Petty Officer Jack Barnes) about starting our own Chapter. This really sparked Charlie’s interest, giving back to the men and women that gave their time and lives in protecting America. Our first endeavor – gave us six months to raise the monies for our very first flight, not much time but Charlie was determined to get it done. He spent countless hours going around to Banks, Farm Supplies, business, churches, civic organizations, radio stations, – promoting our mission of putting together a flight to honor the World War II veterans. His canvassing lead him to the communities around Lubbock and back to his hometown of Petersburg promoting our mission."

Hamilton recalled how the group partnered with the Amarillo chapter of the Texas Honor Flight in selling raffle tickets for a new Chevrolet pickup to help raise funds.

"(Charlie) never took no for an answer and always walked away with something," Hamilton said. "Not only was he out there asking for monies, but he was also out there looking for World War II veterans to fill the plane. After our first flight, Charlie continued to carry the banner for the Texas South Plains Honor Flight, working on the telethon, golf tournament, gun shows, public speaking to groups, etc. Even after he started declining health wise, if you had a minute he would visit with you about giving back to the veterans.”

Original member Mike Travis of Post, a Marine and Vietnam veteran, noted, “He was all in from the beginning. The first Honor Flight, we were roommates. He was one of those that got a hard time coming back from Vietnam. After his health started failing, he still called regularly about Honor Flight activities.”

Interview with Larry Williams

Charlie was interviewed back in May 2018, talking about his time in the service. Here is part of that interview: Charlie received his “greetings” from the Army and was inducted into the service on Aug. 24, 1967. He broke his foot in Basic Training at Ft. Polk, Louisiana and had to be “recycled” which extended his stay. The time served in the Army benefitted him as he trained as a wireman in AIT (Advanced Individual Training), and he learned to climb poles, string communications wiring and some crypto.

After landing in Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam in January 1968, he went in as an individual replacement and was assigned to the HHB (Headquarters and Headquarters Battery) Americal Division, Artillery. He was put on a bus and was taken to Chu Lai Air Base. “The buses had screened wire on the windows, and we saw G.I.’s filling up sandbags as fast as they could beside the road, and I knew this was a different world. This is not the U.S.” Charlie’s timing arriving in Vietnam couldn’t have been any worse. The North Viet Cong were about to start the largest offensive of the Vietnam War. They attacked over 100 cities on January 30, 1968 in what was called the Tet Offensive. Arriving at the base, Charlie recalled that “a sheet was put up between our hooches (improvised living spaces) for us to watch a movie when we were attacked. We were hit with rockets and mortars. You start looking for those sandbags for cover. I had no rifle or anything. You learn to run, crawl and hide (during the attacks). I didn’t know where all the bunkers were.”

In Vietnam, Sgt. Scarborough was flown to several LZ’s (Landing Zones) and fire bases for his Cryptography work. “There would be a compromise in our signals, and I had to deliver new instructions and call signs for communications. I had two flight jackets; one I wore and one I sat on. I carried an M-16 and an M-79 grenade launcher. Once, we were almost knocked out of the air by friendly fire, and the pilot had to put the helicopter in reverse and get us out of there quickly. We had sandbags all around our hooch dug into a hill, artillery, and a guard tower to watch for the enemy. Whenever we played poker, we would never take an I.O.U. There were two times that got my attention. Jumping off on one LZ, I looked down and was straddling a claymore mine. Another time, back at our hooch, I awoke one night with a Viet Cong looking at me. I reached up and hit him right in the nose. He had sneaked into the back of our hooch, which was dug into a hill, and had come down between the hill and our dwelling. That was a little too close. On two occasions he had to escort a prisoner – both times for undesirable behavior. You always had to have two men to guard them.”

Many of our Vietnam veterans were not treated as heroes on their home soil in America. Recalling his return from Vietnam many years earlier, Charlie said, “I was not happy when I came back and got spit on and called ‘baby killer’. I buried those feelings for many years. I later chose to get involved with the Texas South Plains Honor Flight because all veterans deserve to be honored. When I went on the 2012 South Plains Honor Flight, the Vietnam Wall was very emotional, and I had to walk off by myself. One of the ladies on the trip saw how I was reacting and came and sat beside me and let me know everything was OK.” Charlie continued to serve as a valuable member of the Honor Flight Committee for many years.

Like many veterans, Charlie waited a long time to tell his story. After serving on the Honor Flight Committee for several years, witnessing the benefits to the veterans who went, he finally knew it was time. A member of Lakeridge Methodist Church, Charlie said his “advice to anyone and everyone is to get closer to God." His faith carried him through many brushes with death over his lifetime. Now that long journey has come to an end, but Charlie’s legacy will carry on in the Texas South Plains Honor Flight as we continue to take veterans to Washington, D.C. for what we call “The Trip of a Lifetime."

How much did the honor flight mean to Charlie? His daughter Traci said, “My dad was a quiet, teddy-bear of a man and a veteran who never discussed his time served in Vietnam. The memories of what he had seen, done, and lived during his time there were best kept unspoken. When he became a part of the Honor Flight, he began sharing his story with veterans. He quickly realized he was not alone, and he made it his mission to ensure all veterans felt valued and knew their worth. He took every opportunity he found to share about the Honor Flight and encouraged every veteran to sign up for the opportunity to take the trip to D.C. My dad was so proud of the Honor Flight and what they accomplished as a group. Even in the last days before his passing, the Honor Flight was on his mind. As requested by him, my dad will be buried in his Honor Flight shirt, a proud veteran who has positively impacted so many.”

Larry A. Williams is the veterans liaison co-chair for the Texas South Plains Honor Flight and co-author of "Texas South Plains War Stories.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Lubbock Vietnam veteran's impact with Texas South Plains Honor Flight