Lt. Col Charles E. "Charlie" Cannon, USMC (Retired) died last night at the age of 82. My dad fought the good fight and is now resting in His Savior's arms.
My dad was a man's man and a Marine's Marine. Read the book "The Great Santini" and you have a small picture of what it was like growing up in his house. He never messed with Computers, but if he ever wanted to visit this board, his username would've been some form of The Great Santini, and his his icon would've been Bull Meecham.
He was born on a farm in Iowa, and he early on he decided he despised farming. My grandpa wanted he and his brother to live next to each other and share farm equipment...Dad wanted nothing of it. Instead, inspired by Grandma, my mom, and his English teacher Miss Lemkuhl, he decided to go to college. Dad and Grandpa had it out one night, and so at the age of 16, my dad was estranged from his Grandfather. At Grandpa's funeral in 1982, Dad said that this was the first time in 30 years that being in the same room as him didn't end in a fight.
Being the first in his family to go to College, he went off to Parsons College, a small midwestern school in Fairfield, Iowa (Sidenote: Parsons closed in 1974, was bought by the Maharishi Yogi, and is now Maharishi University). He graduated with a Foreign Languages degree and expected to become a schoolteacher.....
However, the Marines stepped in. One night, he and a couple of buddies were up drinking and they all decided to enlist in the Marines. However, they saw where Officers made $100 more a month so instead they went down to recruiting office and signed up for OCS. THAT'S how dad became a Marine Officer....and a good one.
Dad wasn't completely like Bull Meecham. One thing I remember is that he NEVER was one of those obnoxious parents who were always lobbying coaches to let their son play more. He'd just sit in the stands and watch us play whatever sport was in season at the time. I do remember hitting a game-tying double once, and seeing him grinning from ear to ear when I was standing on 2nd base.
In his prime, and even a little after, Dad could do 20 one-armed pushups, 10 one-armed chinups, and I could never beat him arm-wrestling.
After retiring from the Marines, he went to The Mississippi State University (Meridian Branch) and graduated with both a Masters and Specialist degrees in Academic Administration.
Like good Marines, he lived his life burning the candle at both ends. He could outdrink and out-party pretty much anybody, until he broke his hip 4 years ago. Since then, it's been steady downhill. He developed Parkinson's and his movement was further hindered.
My brother, sister, and I visited him in Naples last weekend. By Sunday, he slipped into a coma, he died late last night.
Dad, rest in peace. Say hello to Jim for me.
Last edited:
