A Life Well-Lived and Full: Eulogy for Colonel Charles James Bauer
note: a few months ago, my father passed away. It took more than 6 months to be able to have a burial service at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, due to reasons I will never understand fully. I was asked by my mother to deliver the eulogy at that occasion, December 10, 2014.
Welcome family and friends. We meet here today at this
hallowed place of national memory to honor and celebrate Charles Joseph
Bauer—father, husband, man of faith, soldier, and rags-to-riches American
success story—indeed, his a life well-lived and full. We have only hurried
moments now to reflect upon this life, but any of us can share a personal
observance during the reception that follows our services.
Charlie (many of us knew him affectionately as “Pia”) was a
man with a deep sense of FAMILY.
Perhaps this strong sense of family was due to his own early life experiences
of being orphaned and separated from his siblings in foster care. Along with
his dearly departed sister and brothers, he fought to preserve those tenuous family
ties, as family meant so much to him. Family times were memorable, parties and
holidays filled with laughter. Nothing was more special to him than
Christmas—the twinkle in his eye reminded us of Old St. Nick himself—and for
one who had so little as a child, he delighted in the giving of marvelous toys
and gifts, especially to his children and grandchildren. From one left as an
orphan, he forged with Edna a family of six children, and through those marriages,
13 grandchildren, and with one expectant granddaughter in law with child, we
await Charlie and Edna’s 6th great grandchild. Truly, a full quiver
of descendants, is his and Edna’s legacy to this world.
Charlie was also man of great FAITH. His was a faith that matured over the years, strengthened by
reflection on the scriptures and prayer. His was also an active faith, teaching
in many churches, helping the downtrodden or the lost, supporting out of his
blessings the good works of missionaries around the world. He combined faith and
his insight into finance, serving as a treasurer in various churches. In his
final days, he shared a quote with me from St. Augustine, who wrote, “A man is
what he is before God, and nothing more.” Despite family, financial success,
his service to his country, he knew that his life was finally accountable to an
almighty, righteous, and merciful Father. We will miss his insights and hearing
his prayers, which often graced our table over the years.
Charlie was a man of great FEARLESSNESS in defense of his country. He was willing to place his
life upon the altar of ultimate sacrifice, exposing himself to many dangers as an
American warrior. Rising in the ranks from an enlisted private through
commissioning as an officer through the rank of full Colonel, Charlie led men
in battle in Korea and Vietnam. No rear-echelon administrator, he was an
exemplar of a commander who led by doing. His Purple Hearts, a Distinguished
Flying Cross; a Bronze Star with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Silver Star—some of
our nation’s greatest commendations for heroism in combat—soon will be etched in
the granite of an Arlington headstone. This stone will memorialize his faithfulness,
his genuine love of America’s founding freedoms, and an equal determination to protect
them. There are other stories that tell us not only of his courage, but also his
essential humanity—one story he shared (and like most warriors, his
remembrances of the field of battle did not broadly circulate) was when he
emptied an entire stick—a battalion formation of Huey helicopter gunships, of
all of their equipment and most of their crews, just to fly them to the only
ice cream factory in South Vietnam, in order to load those choppers full of ice
cream, and deliver that then otherworldly treat to his men in a sweltering hot
jungle landing zone. He was a soldier’s soldier. He loved America, and flew the
flag at his home as often as possible, and cherished the deep friendships of men
who similarly devoted themselves to military service, including those who today
honor us and Charlie’s memory with their presence.
Like his military career, Charlie was also a FORCEFUL presence in the world of
commerce. After the Army, he made the decision, along with eldest son Chuck, to
form B&B Records Center, a microfilm and records management business, in
the early 1980’s. B&B would eventually employ nearly every member of the
Bauer family, and itself would take on the characteristics of an extended family
to so many who came to work there for the nearly 20 years of its existence. Under
Pia and Chuck’s leadership, supported by Edna in the front office, B&B not
only survived in a hypercompetitive business environment, it thrived. We
appreciate all those B&B family members who grace us today with their
presence.
His deep sense of FAMILY, his FAITHFULNESS, his FEARLESSNESS,
his FORCEFUL leadership of a successful business enterprise, all speak to the
man we remember today. But how could we conclude without remembering Charlie’s sense
of humor and FUN, his ability to
find humor in the mire and morass of life. No one was quicker with a joke, a
funny story or a song—I hope many of us share some of those stories in a few
moments at the reception.
So take your rightful place, father, friend, fearless warrior,
here among this band of noble heroes in whose company you in honor will forever
be joined. Rest proudly here; may your deeds bring you rich welcome by the others
who have so nobly served this nation. Take your place among fallen comrades and
family long departed. We also know that your journey does not end here, even in
this hallowed place. Death is another path, one we must all take. The grey
rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass, and then
you see it...white shores, and beyond, a far green country under a swift
sunrise. Stand faithful as from this earthen vessel you walk further to an
eternal rest from life’s labors, and heaven’s thunderous Voice gives to you its
own welcome: “Well done, my good and faithful servant. Come and share in the glory
of your master.”
We will always remember you, Pia.
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