History has a funny way of burying the stories that actually matter. While everyone knows the names of the big-shot five-star generals from the World Wars, the name Charles Calvin Rogers usually draws a blank look. Honestly? That’s a shame. If you look at what this man did in the jungles of Vietnam—and how he carried himself afterward—you’re looking at one of the most remarkable careers in American military history. We aren't just talking about a high-ranking officer who sat in a tent looking at maps. We are talking about a guy who, as a Lieutenant Colonel, found himself in the middle of a literal hellscape, refused to quit, and eventually became the highest-ranking Black officer to hold the Medal of Honor.
The Night Everything Went Wrong at Fishhook
It was November 1, 1968. If you’ve ever looked into the "Fishhook" region near the Cambodian border, you know it was a nasty piece of geography. Rogers was commanding the 1st Battalion, 5th Artillery, 1st Infantry Division. They were at Fire Support Base Rita. Around 1:00 AM, the world exploded.
The North Vietnamese Army (NVA) didn't just probe the perimeter; they launched a massive human-wave assault. They wanted that base gone. Rogers was the commander, so technically, he could have stayed in the command bunker. He didn't. When the first wave of NVA sappers breached the northern perimeter, Rogers ran straight into the teeth of the gunfire. He didn't just shout orders. He grabbed a rifle and led a small group of soldiers in a counterattack to retake a captured howitzer position.
He got hit. Shrapnel, mostly. But he didn't head to the medevac.
A second wave hit. This time, the NVA got even closer. Rogers was wounded again, but he kept moving between the gun pits, encouraging his men, physically pushing people back into position, and directing fire. At one point, he was literally throwing hand grenades at the enemy to keep them from overrunning the big guns. By the time the third attack came, he was seriously injured. He was bleeding out, but he still led a small crew to knock out an NVA rocket position.
He survived. Barely. But his actions that night are why Charles Calvin Rogers is a name that should be taught in every history class.
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Beyond the Medal: A Career of Firsts
People focus on the Medal of Honor because, well, it’s the Medal of Honor. It’s the highest award for valor we have. But if you stop there, you miss the actual measure of the man. Rogers wasn't a "one-hit wonder" of bravery. He was a career soldier who climbed the ranks during a time when being a Black officer in the U.S. Army was—to put it mildly—a massive uphill battle.
He grew up in Claremont, West Virginia. It was a coal mining town. You either mined coal or you found a way out. For Rogers, that way out was West Virginia State College (now University) and the ROTC.
Think about the timeline here. He was commissioned in the early 1950s. The Army had only been "officially" desegregated for a few years, and the reality on the ground was often lagging behind the policy on paper. To make it to Major General (two stars), you couldn't just be "good." You had to be undeniable. Rogers was undeniable.
Life in the "Big Red One"
The 1st Infantry Division—the famous Big Red One—was his home for much of his career. It’s a unit with a terrifying amount of pride and a lot of ego. Rogers fit right in because he was a "soldier's general." He spent time in Germany during the Cold War, commanding troops when the threat of a Soviet invasion was the primary concern of the entire Western world. He ended up serving as the Deputy Commanding General of V Corps in Germany.
He didn't just lead; he mentored. There are dozens of stories from younger officers who remember Rogers not for his medals, but for his willingness to pull someone aside and explain the "why" behind a decision. He wasn't some remote figure on a pedestal. He was a guy who understood that an army is basically just a huge, complicated family held together by discipline and mutual respect.
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Why We Get Rogers Wrong
Most people who stumble across his Wikipedia page see a guy in a suit with a bunch of ribbons. They think "bureaucrat." But Rogers was a math guy, too. He understood the technical side of artillery better than almost anyone. He knew that if the math was wrong, the shells landed on his own people.
There's also this misconception that Medal of Honor recipients are these fearless, almost robotic heroes. If you read the accounts of that night at FSB Rita, Rogers wasn't "fearless." He was just more worried about his men than he was about himself. That’s a huge distinction. It’s not the absence of fear; it’s the management of it.
The Quiet Life After the Uniform
When he retired in 1984, he didn't go the corporate consultant route that so many generals take today. He didn't join a board of directors for a defense contractor to make millions. Instead, he became a minister.
Think about that for a second. A man who spent his life perfecting the art of "King of Battle" (artillery) and who had seen the absolute worst of human violence spent his final years as an Army chaplain and a Baptist minister in Germany. He worked with soldiers and their families, helping them navigate the same stresses he’d lived through. He stayed in Germany for a long time, serving the American military community there until he passed away in 1990.
He’s buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Section 7-A, Grave 196. It’s a quiet spot.
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What You Can Learn from the General
Charles Calvin Rogers lived a life that basically destroys every excuse most of us have for not trying harder. He came from a tiny mining town, fought through systemic racism, survived three major wounds in a single night of combat, and reached the top of his profession without losing his soul.
If you’re looking for actionable takeaways from his life, it’s these three things:
- Lead from the front, always. If things are going sideways at your job or in your life, don't hide in the "bunker." People follow the person who is willing to get their hands dirty alongside them.
- Competence is the best defense. Rogers was an expert in artillery. His technical skill gave him the credibility that his rank alone couldn't. Be so good at what you do that they can't ignore you.
- Success isn't the finish line. For Rogers, becoming a General wasn't the end. His "second act" as a minister showed that your titles don't define who you are—how you serve others does.
If you ever find yourself in DC, skip the long lines at the big monuments for twenty minutes. Go over to Arlington. Find Section 7-A. Stand there for a minute and think about what it takes to be the guy who keeps running back into the fire when everyone else is looking for cover. That was Rogers. That's the standard.
To really honor his legacy, stop looking for the easy path. Rogers never had one, and he turned out just fine. Better than fine. He turned out to be a legend.
Next Steps for History Buffs:
If you want to dig deeper into the tactical side of what happened at FSB Rita, look up the after-action reports for the 1st Battalion, 5th Artillery from November 1968. You can also visit the National Museum of the United States Army in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, which houses exhibits on the Vietnam War and the specific contributions of Medal of Honor recipients from that era. For a more personal look at his post-military life, the archives at West Virginia State University maintain records of his time as a student and his continued connection to the "Yellow Jacket" community.