I hope all my readers this week will appreciate a very different type of article from me. First, I want to remind you that this Saturday, May 20, is ‘Armed Forces Day’. That should cause us to pause and remember those who served our country and especially those who gave their life for our freedom.
My son, Phillip Hamby, and my daughter, Debbie Hamby Hampton, have had many relatives on both sides of their families who served in the military. They deeply value their heritage both in the Rumage and Hamby families and they had one cousin, Charles Stringfield who died in combat in Vietnam. Charles was a son of Floyd and Edith Hamby Stringfield whose families were deeply connected to early residents in Morgan County. There are countless cousins who live here today.
From all these relatives you would find a long list of family members who have served their country. Phillip is proud of his years in the Navy and he and his cousin, Rob Davis, who served in the Army, have some ‘powerful’ conversations! Rob’s relatives were so thankful that he came home safely from the Desert Storm combat. Rob is faithful to place flags on local veteran’s graves each Memorial Day.
This past Saturday my son, Phillip, with wife Freida and daughter Gracie decided to take a trip to Crossville, go to Buc-ee’s and then decided to check out a nearby antique store. This is where an unusual event took place. As Phillip was casually checking out the store, he glanced up and saw the picture of his cousin, Charles Stringfield, proudly wearing his Marine uniform! To his amazement Phillip recalled that picture, still in the original frame, that used to hang on the wall at the home of his aunt and uncle, Edith and Floyd, when his aunt Edith was his baby sitter.
Of course, this was unspeakably emotional for him. The following is Phillip’s story that he posted on Facebook:
“Welp, today has been an odd one! Way up on my ‘weird stuff’ scale. Freida, Gracie and I had decided to go to Crossville, have a visit to Buc-ees and then hit an antique store. So, we do, and all is going right along. We are having a big time, and I’m about halfway through the antique store and looked up at this picture and just froze! Freida turned to me asking, “What’s wrong?” My reply, “That’s my cousin, Charles!”
I then began to share my thought to her that Charles was a Sergeant in the USMC and was killed in action in Vietnam. He grew up and graduated from Harriman High School and had plans to go into the ministry. He was the kind of guy everyone liked because of his good nature and sweet disposition. He was an all around fine young man. I reminded her that his name was read every year at the Memorial Day ceremony in Kingston where my brother-in-law, Mike Rotters, has been playing “Taps” for about 30 years. (That’s an amazing story in itself) And now, I’m looking at Charles’s face in an antique store in Crossville!!
I couldn’t leave him there! I still can’t fathom the strange series of events that put us at that point but to shorten this story up a bit, he is home with family now. I am blessed. And, in the words of an old Navy buddy, “True story”.”
I will not add more thoughts on Phillip’s story other than that he also remarked that this event was so timely in that this Saturday is ‘Armed Forces Day’ and on May 29 is ‘Memorial Day’.
Military and family records show that Staff Sergeant Charles Dean Stringfield was born January 5, 1940. One surviving son, Charles Dean (Chuck) Stringfield, Jr. is living in Sevierville.
He served his country in the Vietnam War as a member of the United States Marine Corp, as an infantry unit leader in E Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division. He was a ten-year veteran of the Marines when his tour in Vietnam began on July 29, 1968. SSgt. Stringfield was killed under hostile conditions in Quang Nam province, South Vietnam, on Dec. 10, 1968. He was 28 years old at the time of his death. SSgt. Stringfield is buried at Roane Memorial Gardens. He is memorialized on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Panel 37W, Line 39. He was awarded three Purple Hearts.
There are so many veterans who have fought for our freedom and some who have died to provide and protect that freedom. Let all of us stop every day to give thanks for those who paid the price for us and make a vow to let them know we appreciate all they have done for us!!
