HONORING A HERO
Dedication passes on "Chuck's legacy' to future generations
By JIMMY GALVAN Managing Editor

CYNTHIA FORTENBERRY, widow of fallen Iraq hero Chuck Fortenberry, accepts a plaque after the Woodville Post Office was dedicated in her husband's honor. The ceremony was held Monday, July 2 at the Woodville Baptist Church. Newsboy photo/Jimmy Galvan

In East Texas, Wesley Charles "Chuck" Fortenberry has long been considered one of America's heroes.

On Monday, July 2, Fortenberry's hero status was memorialized for future generations as the Woodville Post Office building was named in honor of the fallen Iraq war hero.

"Becoming a hero just is not an ordinary thing," said Major General Virgil Packett II, commanding general for the U.S. Army. "Becoming a hero starts back here at home and it starts with everyday life and understanding the values that are precious to us and the character that is borne out of that.

"That was represented in Chuck Fortenberry and it is represented in America's heroes and it all starts right here," Packett said.

Packett, who was the keynote speaker for the event, reminisced about Fortenberry and his path through the military ranks.

Newsboy photo/Jimmy Galvan U.S. CONGRESSMAN KEVIN BRADY and Major General Virgil Packett II share a laugh during the Chuck Fortenberry dedication ceremony of the Woodville Post Office.

"Chuck always chose the tough path - he never took the easy path," Packett said. "He started flying airplanes 11 years ago. He chose the biggest, baddest airplane that we have out there to -fly but probably the most respected - the Apache helicopter.

"It is interesting about the dedication of this post office that Chuck Fortenberry, through that Apache, delivered the mail," Packett said. "And he wanted to be at the front. He was a soldier's soldier. He was bigger than life and he was a Texan."

Packett talked about the day that Fortenberry answered his final call for duty on Easter Sunday 2004.

"On that day he answered a call of distress," Packett said. "When we as soldiers hear that somebody needs help we will go and answer the call. That is what we do - that is who we are.

"Chuck answered the call that day and he delivered the mail," Packett said. "It was here comes the cavalry and Chuck was in every sense the cavalry. He came to the rescue that day. It was about people in need and he didn't care about himself. He was there to meet this challenge and he was ready to meet his Maker from that perspective as well.

"He was a man of action and a man of courage and that is something we are all proud of," Packett said. "I was proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with him. He was a hero who gave his life for your way of life."

Brady introduced legislation in September 2006 to recognize Fortenberry, a father of three. The event was held the First Baptist Church in Woodville.

"It is the Fourth of July weekend and I can't think of any better way to celebrate this company than to dedicate this post office to Chuck Fortenberry," said U.S. Congressman Kevin Brady, District 8. "People have stopped and asked me why name a post office in any soldier's honor? Our heroes need to have their stories remembered and retold.

"When children visit the post office in the future and ask who Chuck Fortenberry was I hope that their parents will share his story with them to build a sense of pride and patriotism in the next generation of America," Brady said. "These are the stories I want my sons to know. People who visit the Woodville Post Office will see Chuck's name and remember the bravery and valor of the men who serve our armed forces and realize that as a nation and a community, we will be perpetually grateful."

Fortenberry was shot down in Iraq on Easter Sunday 2004 in an attempt to save the lives of 83 reservists pinned down by enemy fire. By military accounts, Fortenberry held off the barrage of enemy fire until reinforcements arrived, saving the lives of many of the reservists.

Fortenberry's helicopter was shot down and he along with gunner Chief Warrant Officer Shane Colton was killed.

Brady pointed out that naming the post office after Fortenberry was not only a tribute to him but also "a tribute to the bravery and valor and sacrifice of all the veterans and their families in Woodville and Tyler County.

"Chuck Fortenberry didn't expect to become an American hero - most figures in our history don't expect to become heroes," Brady said. "They are everyday men and women from real American towns like Woodville, Texas.

"Through the centuries many lives have been laid down for friends, countrymen and fellow Americans," said Tyler County Judge Jacques Blanchette. "Today we stop to recognized the sacrifice made by one but it is actually a tribute to all who have gone before us and even those that will follow behind us."