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Charles Owen Sweetwood |
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Engagements: • Korean War (1950 - 1953) |
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| Biography: | ||||
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Charles Owen Bilbrey was born to Bonnie McNew and Ernest Bilbrey. He was later known by his stepfather's surname, Sweetwood. Staff Sergeant Sweetwood was a U.S. Army medic with the Medical Company, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. He was Killed in Action while tending his wounded comrades in South Korea on 8 September 1950.Medals, Awards and Badges Purple Heart Honors An American Red Cross Blood Procurement (Railroad) Car, the Charles O. Sweetwood, was named in his honor. The railroad car toured the country with a crew of nurses who drew blood donations in the car for the Korean War effort. The car is still in existence in Portola, CA, and a smaller scale model replica is in storage. The family of Charles Sweetwood, hopes to see the car restored and on display in the future. This additional information on the railroad car is provided by Eugene Vicknair and can be viewed at http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,3084077: "During the Korean War, this [Western Pacific] Pullman business car traveled 28,488 miles over 11 railroads in 4 states and collected over 25,000 pints of blood to support the Red Cross' blood program for Korea. The car was named for a former Western Pacific carman who was the first Nevada resident and first WP employee killed in Korea: Charles Owen Sweetwood. Not only was this the first time a railcar had been used for blood collection, based on my research, this appears to have been the first time such a long distance, large scale mobile blood procurement had ever been attempted. Previously, blood collection centered around clinics in urban areas and small mobile units that stayed within a 75 mile max radius." A Memorial containing the name Charles Sweetwood and other Elko County veterans who died during the Korean War, is located in front of the Elko County Courthouse in Elko, NV. The memorial was sponsored by the Gasper J. Salaz Post Number 2350 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Disabled American Veterans Chapter Number 12 in Elko, NV, was named the Charles O. Sweetwood Chapter in his honor. Although DAV Chapter 12 is no longer active, the Chapter's Colors are held by VFW Post 2350 in Elko. Burial Staff Sergeant Charles Owen Sweetwood is buried at the Elko Veteran's Cemetery in Elko, NV. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=68715525 |
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| Honoree ID: 212603 | Created by: MHOH | |||
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