Charles William Bass (1965)

BASS, HEICHEL, HOOKS

Posted By: Linda Brittain (email)
Date: 3/16/2007 at 20:01:02

Winterset Madisonian, Winterset, Iowa
1965

RITES WEDNESDAY FOR SGT. BASS

Funeral services were held this Wednesday at Clarksville, Tenn., for M/Sgt. Charles William Bass of Winterset, who was killed Nov. 17 in the battle of Ia Drang in Viet Nam. Clarksville is the home of his wife.

Burial was to be made in the national cemetery at Dover, Tenn.

Sgt. Bass’ mother and sister, Mrs. Charles Bass and Mrs. Gary Heichel, left Winterset Saturday for Clarksville to attend the services. They were accompanied by Mrs. Marjorie Bass. Sgt. Bass’ father was unable to make the trip, because of his health.

Also attending the services from Winterset were Mr. and Mrs. George Bass and Mr. and Mrs. Gene Bass.
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Winterset Madisonian

1965

CHAS. WILLIAM BASS KILLED IN ACTION

First Madison county casualty of the Viet-Namese war occurred this week.

M. Sgt. Charles William Bass of Winterset was killed in the fighting there last Wednesday, Nov. 17, according to word received here this Monday by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bass.

He was serving with the First Air Cavalry division, which has been engaged in the heavy fighting in the Ia Drang valley in Viet-Nam this past week against a heavy concentration of North Viet-Namese forces.

Sergeant Bass was 35 years of age at his death. He was a career soldier, who had been serving in the U. S. army since 1948.

A son of Charles and Dorothy Leveke Bass, he was born in Winterset Feb. 22, 1930. His early life was spent in this community. He attended Winterset High schol, where he was an outstanding athlete, both in football and basketball and graduated with the class of 1948.

He enlisted in the U.S. army shortly after graduation from high school. For many years he was a member of a paratroop unit, but was transferred within the past year to the First Air Cavalry division, which is an air mobil unit.

This was his third duty assignment in Viet-Nam since 1962. He was assigned there that year as one of the U.S. military advisors, and had been in Viet-Nam most of the time for the last three years.

He was married June 12, 1960 to Evelyn Hooks of Clarksville, Tenn. They were parents of a son, William Guy Bass, aged 4 years.

In addition to his wife and son, he leaves his parents of Winterset; and a sister, Mrs. Gary Heichel, who is now with her husband at the College of Agriculture, Laguna, Philippine Islands.

Funeral arrangements remain indefinite, pending the return of the soldier's body to his homeland.