BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH Of CHARLES WILSON BAGNAL


Charles W. Bagnal was born in Mont Clare, South Carolina on April 15, 1934. He grew up in Florence, South Carolina where he attended public schools at Circle (McKenzie) and Park (Harlee) Elementary, Florence Junior High, and McClenaghan High graduating in 1952. During his senior year he was president of the student body and was voted by his classmates as the most popular and best all around. Upon graduating he entered the United States Military Academy where he graduated in 1952 being commissioned as a 2d Lieutenant in artillery and also became an army aviator.

After a series of operational assignments in artillery and aviation in 1966 Bagnal deployed to Vietnam where he commanded Troop C, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division. He returned to Vietnam in 1971 where he commanded the 52d Combat Aviation Battalion. In 1969-71 Bagnal was the military assistant to the Secretary of the Army. Other significant assignments included:

Chief Staff Management Division, Office of the Chief of Staff, U.S. Army

Deputy Director of the Army Staff, Office of the Chief of Staff, U.S. Army

Commander, 101st Aviation Group, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)

Assistant Division Commander, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)

Deputy Superintendent, United States Military Academy, West Point

Director, Officer Personnel Management, U.S. Army Military Personnel Center

Special Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, U.S. Army

From 1981-1983 Bagnal was Commanding General of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) which, 24 years earlier, was his first assignment as a Lieutenant.   In 1983-1985 he was Deputy Commanding General for Training at the U.S. Army Training & Doctrine Command and the Army Inspector General for Training. In 1985 General Bagnal was Commanding General of the United States Army Western Command where he commanded all U.S. Army forces in the Pacific to include U.S. Army Alaska and U.S. Army Japan less those forces in South Korea.

Among General Bagnal’s decorations are the Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star Medal, 31 Air Medals, Presidential Unit Citation with oak leaf cluster, Master Army Aviator Badge and Air Assault Badge. His foreign decorations include the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with gold and bronze stars, Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation with palm, and Vietnam Civil Actions Medal with oak leaf cluster.  General Bagnal also has been decorated by the Heads of State of Japan, Thailand, Malaysia and South Korea.

General Bagnal is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command & General Staff College, the U.S. Army War College, holds a BS degree from West Point, an MS in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Tech and upon retiring from the Army obtained a Juris Doctor degree from the University of South Carolina. He practiced law with the Ratchford Law Firm in Columbia, South Carolina from 1995-2005.

The day after graduation from West Point on June 6, 1956 at high noon (D-Day) Charles Bagnal married Patsy Smith, a high school classmate who had known each other since the 2d grade. They have 3 sons and 8 grandchildren. General & Mrs. Bagnal live in Columbia, South Carolina and are very active in First Baptist Church of Columbia. Charles is Chairman of the Board of the West Point Society of Columbia and is active in several military organizations.