Charles E Hosking Jr
Charles was born on the 12th of May, 1924, in Ramsey, New Jersey, and when he was sixteen years old, he left his home and managed to hitchhike to Canada, where he enlisted in the Royal Highland Regiment, also known as the Black Watch. This was before the attack on Pearl Harbor and Charles was simply trying to find a way to get into the fight but he was tracked down by his congressman and brought back to the States. He didn’t stay home for long, once again running away from home to the Canadian border, but this time stopped and sent home. Somehow, Charles managed to join the US Coast Guard while underage but was soon discharged due to a heart murmur. He was able to get a waiver to join the US Army in 1943 and he soon after volunteered for the airborne and was assigned to Company B of the 509th Airborne Infantry Battalion in Europe. During the Battle of the Bulge, Charles was wounded by machine-gun fire, which ended his World War 2 service, and was again wounded in a training accident before the Korean War, this time suffering two broken legs after a bazooka round exploded.
Remaining in the Army, Charles learned of a new unit created at Fort Bragg, to which he volunteered for. Once a member of the newly formed Special Forces, Charles went to language schools and served three tours in Vietnam. On his last deployment, he was a Sergeant First Class serving as an engineer and weapons sergeant with Company A, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces Regiment, and it was his actions on the 21st of March, 1967 that would earn him the Medal of Honor. The citation reads:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. M/Sgt. Hosking (then Sfc.), Detachment A-302, Company A, greatly distinguished himself while serving as company adviser in the III Corps Civilian Irregular Defense Group Reaction Battalion during combat operations in Don Luan District. A Viet Cong suspect was apprehended and subsequently identified as a Viet Cong sniper. While M/Sgt. Hosking was preparing the enemy for movement back to the base camp, the prisoner suddenly grabbed a hand grenade from M/Sgt. Hosking's belt, armed the grenade, and started running towards the company command group which consisted of two Americans and two Vietnamese who were standing a few feet away. Instantly realizing that the enemy intended to kill the other men, M/Sgt. Hosking immediately leaped upon the Viet Cong's back. With utter disregard for his personal safety, he grasped the Viet Cong in a "Bear Hug" forcing the grenade against the enemy soldier's chest. He then wrestled the Viet Cong to the ground and covered the enemy's body with his body until the grenade detonated. The blast instantly killed both M/Sgt. Hosking and the Viet Cong. By absorbing the full force of the exploding grenade with his body and that of the enemy, he saved the other members of his command group from death or serious injury. M/Sgt. Hosking's risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty are in the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.
Charles, also known as Snake, was 42 years old when he died and he had served twenty-four years in service, receiving a posthumous promotion to Master Sergeant. On the 23rd of May, 1969, Charles’ eight year old son, Wesley, received his father’s Medal of Honor from President Nixon during a private ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House. His daughter, Gail, was seventeen at the time of his death, went on to write and publish a book called “Snake’s Daughter: The Roads in and out of War”, thirty years after his actions. Charles Ernest Hosking Jr is buried in Valleau Cemetery in Ridgewood, New Jersey, and his name appears on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall: Panel 17E, Line 5.
