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05/27/2007
Once a patriot, always a patriotVet served in three wars
Charles “Bud” Quick served in World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam War. TRAVERSE CITY — A worn flag hangs above the door to Charles Quick's Boardman Lake Glens apartment. A piece of tattered cloth, its red background contrasts sharply with the yellow sun in a blue square in the upper left hand corner. And it offers a glimpse into the history of the 82-year-old's life. A war veteran, Quick went from an enlisted private in World War II to a full colonel when he left military service following a year in Vietnam. During World War II, the Grand Rapids native fought two combat tours in China. Quick then served in the Air Force for both the Korean and Vietnam wars. But Quick isn't, well, quick to recollect the combat memories or even discuss the stories behind the framed medals hanging on his bedroom wall. "Those and a nickel,” he joked, "can get you a cup of coffee.” He'd rather remember the lighthearted tales of mischief and laughter. "I like to talk about the funny times,” said Quick, pausing to take a long look at the lake outside of his window. Those "funny times” include the story behind the flag gracing his doorway. Quick was still stationed in China with the Marines after World War II ended, and he and his friends decided they needed a memento from their Chinese hosts. Quick scrambled down from his post and snuck around the Chinese building to procure the flag. As much as the Traverse City resident of 23 years would rather reminisce about the lighter side of the war, he admits to being very lucky to survive all three conflicts without major injury. "It was hairy,” said Quick about flying combat missions over Korea and Vietnam. "You were constantly getting shot at, but the good Lord was with me.” As evidenced by that Chinese souvenir, military service provided more than the chance to get shot at. It gave Quick, a high school dropout, opportunities beyond his wildest dreams. After his tour with the Marines in World War II, Quick took advantage of the G.I. Bill and attended Grand Rapids Junior College (now Grand Rapids Community College). He also joined the Michigan National Guard to, as he puts it, "keep the wolves at bay.” He finished school and set his mind on returning to active duty — this time above the ground. The Marines didn't have positions for pilots, so Quick applied and was accepted into the Air Force. He completed pilot training in Lubbock and Reese, Texas and was stationed in Tennessee for a year before he left for to fly missions over Korea in 1951. Quick manned the controls of a C-119 cargo plane and spent most of his time in the Korean sky transporting ammunition, troops and 50-gallon fuel drums. Following Korea, Quick spent seven years in Alaska, where he flew in celebrities like Bob Hope, Ed Sullivan and Steve McQueen to entertain the troops. He then moved to Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio and ended up in Hawaii before he was called away to serve in Vietnam. There, he piloted the O-2 Skymaster. In the twin-engine plane, he flew missions 3,000 feet over enemy territory and dropped leaflets, which could be exchanged for rations. "We were doing things that had never been done before,” Quick said. "I was excited to do it.” A military paycheck also afforded Quick the chance to buy 300 feet of land off of Bluff Road on Traverse City's Old Mission Peninsula in 1953. He and his wife, Doris, built a house on that property in 1984 and lived there until six months ago, when they moved into Boardman Lake Glens. "(Serving in the military) was quite an experience for a guy who didn't know what the world was about,” said Quick, who flew for the Federal Aviation Administration for 12 years once he left the Air Force. Quick's adopted father, Charles Arnold Quick, earned the distinguished service cross in World War I and was responsible for sparking his son's interest in the military. Quick, who never knew his biological parents, saw American military might every day; his house sat across from an armory. Still, military service didn't dawn on Quick until December 7, 1941. He was sitting in Doris' living room when they heard President Franklin Roosevelt announce to the nation that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor. At that moment, Quick knew what he had to do. "Pearl Harbor hit, and our country's at war,” Quick said. "I went to the recruiting office and said, 'Let's go.' ” His didn't even discuss his departure with Doris, whom he married in 1947. "We didn't talk about it,” Doris said. "You just said you were going.”
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