Each July we feature brave men and women who have served our country who also enjoy the pontoon and deck boat lifestyle. Here is a look back at Carl Wagner who we featured in 2017 as we celebrate all veterans today.
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After Carl was drafted into the Army on June 9, 1970, things moved very quickly. His basic training commenced at Fort Dix, N.J., and was followed shortly thereafter by advanced training at Fort Rucker, Ala. Trained primarily to be a door gunner on a Huey, Carl was given secondary training in aircraft maintenance. And though he was offered the opportunity to train to be a helicopter pilot, he declined.
In January of 1971, Carl was sent to Vietnam, where he was stationed with the 361st aerial weapons company airmobile in Pleiku, near the borders of Cambodia and Laos. There, he was immediately able to put that secondary training to good use in the hangar fixing attack helicopters.
“I never got to be a door gunner,” Carl said.
All his time in Vietnam was spent fixing the Huey AG-1 “Cobras” that were so vital to that conflict. Just as those attack gunships supported the troops on the ground, Carl supported the gunships. Carl was back in the states and out of the Army January 13, 1972.
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Before his passing in 2019 Carl and his wife Suzi enjoyed spending time on their Bennington 2275 triple pontoon that is powered by a 150hp Honda four-stroke on Lake Norman in North Carolina. The Wagners spent quality time on the water for the last dozen or so years, plus were very active on the PDB Forum (cwag911) where they spent a lot of time helping other boaters by answering questions and offering advice. It’s clear Carl was one of those great people who was always looking to help other people and that dates back to his time serving our country and he is greatly missed. A big thank you to Carl and all the other veterans who have served or are currently serving our country. On this Veterans Day, WE SALUTE YOU.
