Charles E. Childs is veteran of war. Growing up with an interest in the Army, he was voluntarily involved in the ROTC in college, from 1941 to 1943. From then on, he was drafted to become a member of the United States Army, doing as he was told. He started in basic training in Ft. Riley, Kansas, as a platoon leader. There he trained recruits to ride and take proper care of horses, as well as military training. Overlooking his service time, this was one of the most enjoyable experiences for Dr. Childs.

In May, 1945, Dr. Childs was shipped out to the Philippines. At this time, President Roosevelt had died, and the Japanese War was still in progress. When the war ended, uncertainty was in the air, as to what would happen next year- was it really over? Sporadic fighting spontaneously arose around Manilla, but because the war was over, Dr. Childs was sent home. He went to register in the College of Veterinary medicine, Washington State College, Pullman, Washington but he remained active in the Army Reserve, and when the Korean War started, he was called to active duty, upon graduation.

Dr. Childs joined the 1^st Armored Division in Texas, with the rank of Captain. He was assigned a Battalion supply officer, consisting of keeping track of tanks, jeeps, and other important supplies. In 1952 he went to Korea, assigned to the 40th Infantry Division, near the 38^th parallel. This was an imaginary line between Communist North and Democratic South Korea. On the parallel, infantry units were on lines, periodically leaving to patrol the surroundings and coordinates of the enemy.

Looking back on his time on the "parallel", Dr. Childs recalls how the enemies dug small holes through hills they were hiding behind, to fire through. One specific time, an officer disregarded coordinates given and went into enemy fire. He ended up losing four tanks and about ten men…and he was captured. Besides the danger of being shot, Dr. Childs also recalls his dislike for moving at night, due to the possibility of being run over by a tank, or not seeing the enemy’s location. In August of 1952, Dr. Childs was assigned to Pusan, South Korea, as a veterinary officer, because of his training in veterinary medicine. He then began to work with the government officials to repopulate the local livestock which had been killed by the communist North Koreans. At this time, various vaccines were bought and used to control various animal diseases.

Soon after, Dr. Childs returned to the United States to re-enter the Reserve. In 1976 he retired after attending college for high level commanders like himself. In 1984, he also retired as a veterinarian. To this day he still enjoys helping out with animals, and sharing his experiences in the service.

When looking back on his involvement in the war, Dr. Childs shared his opinions. In discussing "good war" he believes "no war is good". The reason war is necessary is to defeat evil. He believes all war generations are similar in war, because they are all fighting for the same reason, and all want to defeat evil. With the recent events of September 11^th, 2001, we are uncertain as to what our future holds. We can only hope we can be as brave and giving as Dr. Charles E. Childs.