Biographical Notes re

Charles A. (Chuck) Stone

Page 4 of 4 Pages, of Chapter 10,

NATO PERSPECTIVES
Our first winter in Naples was a time when much of the country endured remarkable rain storms and resulting floods. We learned to appreciate the roll-down shutters that were mounted on all windows on our apartment. Sewers flooded. Those with broken lines, and there were many, would suck the mud right out from under buildings and they would go crashing down the side of the hill they were built on. People we knew, had to evacuate their apartments on very short notice for fear it would soon slide down the hill. Garbage was everywhere, most of the time, and the floods helped gum things up even more. Our apartment building was well located and well built, so we had no difficulty of any consequence.

Our family had a leisurely visit to Florence where we took in the sights to the extent that one can absorb that much world famous art in a matter of days. In the late fall, I was scheduled to attend a special weapons training course at Oberammergau, Germany. My family was allowed to travel with me. We stayed in the resort community of Garmish.

[Note: I have illustrated some of those impressions in an attachment to one of Earl Myers stories. If you would like to review it, click here to go to. You will find an easy return click to this page at the end of the second page of that item.]

It was during one of my classes at the Special Weapons School that I got a real shock. While watching a film on the effects of poison gas during WW I, who should appear on the screen but my Uncle Herb, sitting up in a hospital bed. There was no question in my mind that that person was my Uncle Herb. The images I was seeing matched still photos he had in his collection back at the Rainbow Inn. I was speechless and chose not to bring it up to the teacher or rest of the class for fear they would carry me off in a straight jacket.

About midwinter of 1967/1968 I received two special gifts. General Hardy called me in and presented me with my third USAF Commendation Award. If you want to read about it, click here and find an easy return to this page. Also, my name turned up on a promotion list, making me a Lt. Colonel in the USAF. I was quite dumfounded and happy as a hog. [Note: To my surprise, after being settled into our new life in Flagstaff, AZ, I received in the mail the Joint Service Commendation Medal and Certificate, signed by General L. L. Lemnitzer, NATO Commander, on 21 October 1928. The wheels grind slowly, but often they grind true.]
Those of us at our Headquarters, who were on the list, threw some kind of a party at the Officers Club. With all of the potential pitfalls and hurdles, relating to my physical status I had been contending with, this was a gift beyond my fondest imaginings. Although I have avoided dwelling on the subject, my health had been very iffy ever since June 1964. The medics and myself were frequently trying to sort out what kind of complications I might be having from various sources, including those of my early polio history. Now-days, that would be referred to as post-polio-syndrome. As we moved into the spring season, my sense of being unwell and unable to find solutions through military resources, caused me to began contemplating filing for retirement. I would hit 20 years active in June of 1968 and I had 5 additional years of active reserve time to my credit. I began to sort out the pros and cons and their related consequences.
The Headquarters Graphics Department created a cartoon of each of us on the list so they could be displayed at our party.
By late April or early May, I arranged to hop a flight to Wiesbaden, Germany, for an evaluation at the USAF Hospital there. I intended for it to be a brief visit, but the medics at Wiesbaden wanted to hold me over for further evaluation. The initial interviews were by very competent and caring doctors. When they had completed their physical checks, they assigned me for a psych profile with a real nut case. He needed help far more than did I. He just ignored me for weeks on end. I finally went in and talked with some of my earlier evaluators and they were shocked at what had transpired under their noses. They decided they were going to send me stateside to the Wright-Patterson AFB for further evaluation and potential retirement.
I told them that I wanted to return to Naples to get some family affairs in order and my wife and I also had some dear friends from the States that were going to pass through on their way to Turkey. They agreed. I flew back to Naples, saw my daughter graduate from the Naples High School, entertained our visitors (Everett and Alice Savage, had been lifelong friends) and enjoyed a wonderful going away party put on by General Recagno (Everett was able to attend the gathering). General Recagno and I had become sincere friends and I had found him to be a caring, gracious gentleman and an effective leader. We continued to correspond until his untimely death from a heart attack some years later.
Nell greets Alice and Everett Savage, dear friends from Little Falls, MN
It was hard to say good-bye to our many friends and especially to my own family. Nell would have to go through the ordeals of packing up and shipping out without my help. It seemed the best of the choices though. I wished them well and caught another flight to Wiesbaden and was soon on a Med-Evac Flight back to the states.

My medical checks and processing at Wright Patterson were as confusing as were those at Wiesbaden. The doctors, as always, ended up not reaching any real conclusions and ended up making assumptions. They began to backtrack on the many dire predictions that had been made as to my future health and longevity and finally chose to retire me with a 10% official medical disability. I told them I didn’t really give a damn, as I had earned my retirement through length of service. I was thankful that General Recagno had given me a good sendoff from the NATO Headquarters.


[In retrospect: I wonder what the doctors conclusions would have been had they known I had had a significant stroke in my earlier medical history, probably June, 1964? If they had known, would I have even been allowed to stay on to earn my retirement? My guess is “No”. Therefore, I am glad they never figured it out. I wouldn’t have missed those last four years of active duty for any price.]

My out-processing into a retired status at Wright-Patterson, with memories of the medical hassles so strong in my mind, was kind of like a funeral. I picked up my records, packed and flew back to Washington D.C. where Nell, Sandie and David were waiting for me at the home of a friend and neighbor in Springfield, Virginia. From there we flew on to Minneapolis/St. Paul, rented a car and drove to Little Falls and soon after, on to Park Rapids. We had made our plans and were ready to carry them out.
Portrait of Charles A. Stone taken while serving at the Pentagon, Washington D.C., June 1964

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