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CHARLES ROBERT ORR was born in Jackson,
TN. His father was a civil engineer, and his
mother was a schoolteacher. Growing up,
Charles participated in sports and Boy Scouts
and was active in his church. He was also close
to his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles
Hugh Moore and Mr. and Mrs. Harvey
Lawson Orr. During the summer, he lived
on his grandparents’ farms, hunting, fishing,
or just enjoying the open spaces and nature.
Charles attended Jackson High School, excelling
in academics and sports. Because of his
large size and strength, he was called “Hercules”
by his classmates.
In 1949, Charles graduated from high
school and journeyed to the University of
Tennessee in Knoxville. At the end of Charles’
freshman year, Congressman Tom Murray
offered him an appointment to West Point.
Charles accepted and began preparing for
the entrance examinations to the Academy.
Having passed the exams, he arrived at West
Point in July 1950, and his physical agility and
warm, southern personality quickly endeared
him to his G-2 classmates. Charlie had a quiet
demeanor, but the twinkle in his eyes revealed
the humor he shared with his classmates. He
demonstrated his keen sense of humor during
one Saturday Morning Inspection when MAJ
Short, the G-2 Tactical officer found a white
powder on Charlie’s locker shelf. When asked
what the substance was, Charlie respectfully replied,
“DDT, sir.” When asked what he used it
for, Charlie answered, “To defeat the armored
cavalry, sir!”
Finishing in the top half of his class, Charlie
was able to devote considerable time to baseball
and the Fishing, Spanish, and Skeet Clubs. A
classmate who played catcher on the company
softball team changed positions when Charlie
was pitching because Charlie had such “speed
and stuff” on the ball. A fortress of strength for
any classmate or friend, his gentle kindness and
his total commitment to the principles of West
Point guided Charlie throughout his life.
Following graduation, Charlie attended
the Infantry Officer Basic course at Ft. Benning, GA, and earned his Airborne wings
and Ranger tab. Afterwards, he joined the 3rd
Infantry Division, serving initially as a platoon
leader and later as company executive officer.
In 1956, Charles met Carol Randall of
Columbus, GA. A whirlwind courtship ensued,
and they married six weeks later. Carol
accompanied Charles to Japan, where he
served as a company commander in the 1st
Cavalry Division and as aide to the G-4, U.S.
Army, Japan.
Charles was known as “Charlie” to his
classmates, yet he was always “Charles” to
his beloved Carol. They had three wonderful
children and instilled in them important values
and a lasting interest in education. Their
children, Allen, Tom, and Virginia, loved and
respected their father and were proud of his
military career. Having been inspired by their
father’s lifelong interest in education, they all
graduated from college.
In 1959, Charlie transferred to the Corps
of Engineers and attended the Engineer
Officers Career Course. He then attended
Texas A&M University, earning a master of
science in civil engineering, and subsequently
serving as engineer advisor to the commandant
of the Engineer School, Army of
the Republic of Viet Nam. Returning to Ft. Benning, he served as an Engineer instructor
and a faculty advisor at the Infantry Officers
Advanced Course, where he was awarded the
Army Commendation Medal.
After the Alaska earthquake of 1964, Charlie
spent 3 years working on rebuilding projects
for the city of Anchorage, including construction
of new buildings and repair of schools,
sewer lines, and the airport control tower. For
his service there, he received a certificate from
the Anchorage City Council and was awarded
a second Army Commendation Medal.
Charlie’s next tour was in Korat, Thailand, where he commanded the 528th
Engineer Detachment. His unit built a church, officer quarters, library, and athletic facilities.
There, Charlie earned his third Army
Commendation Medal.
Returning again to Ft. Benning, Charlie was
the deputy director of Facilities Engineering,
supervising 800 people responsible for the
maintenance of 182,000 acres of land, operation
and maintenance of all post utility systems,
range maintenance, and construction of new
facilities. There, he also completed Command
and General Staff College by correspondence
(graduating with honors) and coached Little
League baseball, football, and basketball.
In 1974, Charlie retired from the Army.
His dedication to the Army and his commitment
to accomplishing difficult missions
earned him the Meritorious Service Medal.
Then, having more time to spend with his
six adored grandchildren, he took great pride
in taking his grandson to soccer and baseball
practices. Charlie still loved sports and encouraged
his grandchildren to participate in them.
Following retirement, Charlie began a
successful career with the director of Facilities
Engineering at Ft. Benning, while simultaneously
earning a master’s degree in education
from Georgia State University. Initially,
he served as a general engineer, responsible
for work management and maintaining real
estate records. Subsequently, he was appointed
chief of Engineer Resources Management
Division and Supervisory Industrial Engineer,
responsible for program management and supervising
an annual budget of $25 million. In
1988, Charlie earned his third master’s degree,
an MBA from Columbus State University,
and was promoted to GS-13, general engineer
and chief, Building and Grounds Division. In
1992, upon his promotion to chief, Facilities
Maintenance and Operations Division, he supervised
460 personnel maintaining all utilities,
streets, and grounds on the installation. Charlie
retired from Civil Service in 1994. Afterwards,
inspired by his mother’s love of and dedication
to education, he worked as a substitute teacher
in the Columbus school system until 2001.
Charles loved and adored his wife, children,
and grandchildren and treated everyone with
dignity and respect. A gentleman of character,
he embodied the principles of “Duty, Honor,
and Country.” Be thou at peace, Charlie.
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