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Sgt. Britt was probably one of the most efficient soldiers I ever had
the privilege of serving with. He was not only a comrade in arms, he
befriended me and eventually my immediate family. He became a part of
us. My wife and children loved and respected him.

Even today after almost 29 years. The vivid memory of him arising early
in the morning and all the family getting up to say our good byes, as he
departed for what was to be his last call to duty in defending our
democratic beliefs.

Sgt. Britt and I served at Fort Benning after I returning from the first
tour in Vietnam. This is where we became a family. Then after I was
discharged I stayed in the area and Sgt. Britt was often a guest over
night and on weekend.

He loved the woods and was a true woodsman. He said as a child the woods
was his real home. Guess that is why he liked the infantry.

Often the family and I would go with him to shot his guns. Him being
the brave ranger that he was. He would often catch rattlesnakes and
copperheads with his bare hands. I remember once we were all out and he
tried to catch a copperhead and it almost got him. However he was not
deterred and got the snake. He gave the kids a scare.

He commented to me on more than one occasion that we had become the
family he never had.

He loved to hunt. When he came home on his leave after extending his
first tour in Vietnam, he went to Africa to hunt. At Benning he often
bagged game and would come dragging it to our place and we all feasted.

When he returned to Vietnam for his second tour he wrote often. My wife
had to do most of the answering, as I was busy trying to get established
in civilian life after several years in the Army. In his last letter to
us he stated he was coming directly to our place upon his return. We were
all happy and expected a great reunion, but five days before he was due
home we got word that he had been killed in action.

He had been mortally wounded in the head while trying to save a downed
helicopter crew. He gave his life while trying to save those who often
saved many LRRP/LRP teams from an early demise. He and the rescue team
were ambushed and I do not know if any survived. This act was a
testimony to the life of a true soldier that Sgt. Britt truly was.

My wife represented our family at the funeral in Maryland. I was unable
to get away.

As a LRRP/LRP with the 2nd brigade 4th infantry division(1966-1968),
Sgt. Britt gained the name; "The Legend". His fame came from the fact,
that he was able to get in, track, observe, and bring havoc on the enemy
without firing a shot and still never get detected. He was an expert at
ambushing with artillery.

As a fellow teamleader and eventually the P/Sgt. I only remember Sgt.,
Britt making contact once with the enemy. He and I were both taking
teams out from the forward firebase of the 1/22nd infantry. This was
just before I became P/Sgt. He was to leave out that night . I the next
morning to follow in an archlite on the Cambodian border.

It was a miserable night as the rain came down in buckets the whole
night. Sgt. Britt left out about 10pm and about an hour later I
hear gunfire erupt and quite as suddenly. Automatically I thought they
got ambushed. But soon I hear Britt's voice checking in with the command
post. He wanted to know who else was out there. There was no one but him
and the enemy so they must have been spooked and open fire.

Later on when the missions were over, we were in the tent talking and he
said to me the strangest thing happened on that mission. I said oh yeah,
what? He said he was on point moving through the jungle when he came
face to face with an enemy soldier. He said neither raised their rifle
but just stood there with water dripping off their hats looking at each
other and for whatever reason they both turned and went in different
directions. He said it was almost like a dream, but it was real. This
was the only contact I ever heard of him making. His ability to get in
and out without detection earned him the name; "The Legend".

Charlie Britt your are dearly missed by my family, myself , and all
whose paths you ever graced. Rest in peace my friend and truly an
American Warrior!


Bob Smyers

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