Native Sons Lost: Milledgeville's Vietnam War Dead

Charles Albert Fraley was born in Milledgeville, Georgia on October 29, 1948 to Gladys Fraley and Joseph Mullins. At the time of Charles’ birth, Gladys was only 17, living on her family’s farm in north Baldwin County, and Joseph had served in the Army. Charles was raised by his mother. Joseph was arrested and convicted of murder in 1950 and sentenced to life in prison. He died in 1967, two years prior to Charles. 

Charles attended J.F. Boddie High School, which served the segregated Black community of Milledgeville. He graduated with the class of 1969. On February 10, 1969, Charles enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. Charles wanted to achieve his full potential and believed the Marine Corps would provide him with opportunities to grow and experience the world outside of Georgia. 

After Charles completed basic training, he prepared for combat in Vietnam at Camp Pendleton in San Diego, California. Charles, known to have the biggest smile on his face at unusual times, was nicknamed ‘Smiley’ by his fellow Marines while at Camp Pendleton. Charles arrived in Vietnam on August 18, 1969 for his 13-month long tour of duty. The Marine Corps enforced a policy of 13 month long overseas deployments, requiring Marines to serve one month longer in Vietnam than their Army and Air Force counterparts. 

Charles was assigned to Charlie Squad, 2nd Platoon, E (Echo) Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, based at Camp Lauer, south of Da Nang. At this time, the Marine Corps was responsible for the defense of the five northernmost provinces of South Vietnam, classified as the I Corps Tactical Zone. By 1970, large-scale combat had become infrequent; however, the enemy constantly engaged Marine forces in a deadly war of ambushes, rocket attacks, and boobytraps. 

Charles was the de facto point man for 2nd Platoon. The point man assumes the first, and therefore most exposed, position in a military combat patrol, leading a unit through hostile territory. Normally the point position rotated among members of the unit to spread the risk. But Charles was very good at protecting his unit from attack and boobytraps and chose to perform the hazardous duty. Michael Dan Kellum, E Company’s XO, spent a week as a stand-in platoon leader for 2nd Platoon and remembered being impressed by the competent and professional way Charles walked point and his ability to spot boobytraps before they could injure his fellow Marines. Jim Kyle, Charles’s platoon leader remembered:

"He led our platoon into the most heavily laden mine area in all of Vietnam. This was the type of warfare Charley had to carry on his shoulders every day. Walking on eggshells waiting to hear that snap of trip wire or released pressure device ready to tear you apart; let alone facing direct enemy fire. How many of us did you save Charley Fraley--more than we will ever know." - Lt. Jim Kyle, Charles’ platoon leader, Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division

On the night of April 7, 1970, Charles, along with the rest of 2nd Platoon, Echo Company, 2/1, were conducting a patrol through an old cemetery near the village of Tra Khe. Charles, as usual, was walking point when he slid down a creek embankment, triggering a boobytrap. Charles was seriously wounded. Kellum remembed that:

“We could hear his pain tearing into our hearts in the night. He died the next day, April 8. I cried from my gut that night for Charlie Fraley and the future he'd never have.”

After he was hit, Charles was stabilized by Mike Shuck, one of the platoon’s medics, and flown by helicopter to a military hospital in Da Nang. Doctors there determined both of Charles‘ legs nedded to be amputated. Charles would die of his wounds the following day, April 8, 1970. Kellum is conflicted by Charles’ death:

"I worried the day Charlie died that he had given up on life when he saw that he'd lost both his legs. I wish he could've lived to see how much the world has changed since the 1970s. His mother's brother had lost a leg in a jeep accident in Okinawa in WW II and had managed to live a full life...I wish it'd been the same for Charlie. I will miss Charlie Fraley. He was one damn good Marine."

"Charley was my guardian angel from the time I first arrived to take over the platoon to the day he gave his life for his fellow Marines. ” - Lt. Jim Kyle, Charles’ platoon leader, Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division

A memorial service was held at Camp Lauer on May 30, 1970 honoring Charles Fraley and the other ten 2/1 Marines killed in action over the previous three months. Kellum remembers the ceremony:

"Eleven Marines from the fallen Marines' respective platoons were selected to slowly walk out one at a time as their man's name was called, square up on the sandbag in front of the cross, drive their M-16 rifle with bayonet attached into the sandbag and slowly place their helmet on the butt end of the rifle. There were a lot of Marines and Navy Corpsmen with tears in their eyes by the end of the ceremony as a bugler playing a haunting Taps almost did us all in."

Private First Class Charles Albert Fraley is interned at Bone Cemetery, 941 N. Clarke St, Milledgeville, Georgia, Row C lot 26. His location on the Vietnam Memorial is Panel 2W, Line 107.

Student research on Charles Albert Fraley, conducted by Kevin Duer, Madison Miles, and Joel White, is available in the Georgia College  Knowledge Box