Major General Charles Calvin Rogers, A Soldier's Story
Major General Charles Calvin Rogers, A Soldier's Story
Major General Charles Calvin Rogers was born on September 6, 1929, in Claremont, West Virginia.
He began his military career through the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program at West Virginia State University, graduating in 1952 and receiving his commission in the United States Army. Commissioned as an artillery officer, he entered service during a period when the Army was still transitioning toward full desegregation.
Rogers served in both the Korean and Vietnam Wars, building a career in field artillery, a branch that demands both technical expertise and calm command under pressure.
By 1968, Lieutenant Colonel Charles C. Rogers was commanding the 1st Battalion, 5th Artillery, 1st Infantry Division in Vietnam. On November 1, 1968, his fire support base near the Fishhook region, close to the Cambodian border, came under intense and coordinated North Vietnamese assault.
The base endured repeated waves of enemy attack supported by rockets, mortars, and ground forces. During the battle, Rogers was wounded multiple times. Despite his injuries, he refused to be evacuated. Moving between defensive positions under heavy fire, he rallied his battalion, reorganized defenses, and personally led counterattacks to repel the assault.
Even after being struck again, he continued directing fire and coordinating the defense until the enemy attack was broken.
For his conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Calvin Rogers was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. At the time of his award, he was the highest-ranking African American service member to receive the nation’s highest military decoration.
He remained in service after Vietnam, continuing to rise through the ranks. He attended the U.S. Army War College and earned a master’s degree from Shippensburg State College. In the years that followed, he held senior artillery and corps-level commands in both the United States and Europe.
Among his later assignments were leadership roles with V Corps and VII Corps in Europe during the Cold War, overseeing large-scale readiness and NATO defense posture.
Upon retiring as a Major General, Rogers did not withdraw from service. Instead, he became an ordained minister and continued ministering to soldiers and veterans, extending his leadership beyond the battlefield.
Major General Charles Calvin Rogers died from prostate cancer on September 21, 1990. He rests at Arlington National Cemetery.
Artillery commander. Medal of Honor recipient. Corps-level general.
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a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life
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