Charles V. Byers – Lieutenant Colonel, United States Army

From a contemporary press report:

Charles V. Byers, 88, a retired Army lieutenant colonel who was a former Silver Spring resident and a 28-year Maryland resident, died of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease January 1, 2001, in Takoma Park, Maryland, at the Sligo Creek Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, where he had spent the past three years.

Colonel Byers, who was born in Pittsburgh, attended the University of Florida before joining the Army in the late 1930s. He later was commissioned.

During World War II, he served with the 101st Airborne Division in Europe, participating in the D-Day landings in Normandy, the Battle of the Bulge and Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands. He remained on active duty until 1953 and then in the active reserve until 1972.

He worked in sales ventures in Pittsburgh, then in the 1970s was an installation manager in South Vietnam with the Pacific Architects and Engineers and did logistics planning in Saudi Arabia for the Bendix Corp.

His military decorations included two Bronze Stars, two Purple Hearts, the master parachutist badge and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge.

His first wife, Donna Brewster Byers, died in 1989. His second wife, Nancy Parkison Byers, died in 1999.

Survivors include twin sons from his first marriage, William, of Bethesda, and Michael, of Baltimore; four stepchildren, Janis Rodriguez of Johnstown, Pa., Carol Parkison of Leesburg and Thomas and Steven Parkison, both of Fairfax; a grandson; and three stepgrandchildren.

Combat Infantryman’s Badge

BYERS, CHARLES V.

Lt Colonel, U.S. Army (Ret.)

On January 1, 2001, beloved husband of the late Donna Brewster and Nancy Parkison; father of Michael and William; stepfather of Liane Melvin, Janis Rodriguez, Thomas and Steven Parkison and Carol Koblentz; grandfather of Russell Byers; stepgrandfather of Matthew Rodriguez, Leesa Parkison and Samantha Melvin. Funeral Tuesday, January 16, 9 a.m. at Ft Myers Chapel, Arlington, VA. Interment Arlington National Cemetery.

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard