Bagwell, Charlie Lane
Male
Verified U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Charlie Lane Bagwell, 28, of Lake Toxaway, North Carolina, was killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan's Upper Sangin Valley on May 30, 2007.
Their Story
Charlie Lane Bagwell was a Staff Sergeant in the United States Army, assigned to Company B, 3rd Battalion, 82nd Aviation Brigade, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He was 28 years old and from Lake Toxaway, North Carolina.
On May 30, 2007, Bagwell was a crew member aboard a CH-47 Chinook helicopter operating in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The aircraft crashed in the Upper Sangin Valley near a landing zone known as LZ Stella. The U.S. Department of Defense stated the crash was the result of hostile fire. All personnel on board, including Bagwell, were killed.
The incident occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. In 2007, Helmand Province was a major center of insurgent activity, and coalition forces conducted frequent air and ground operations in the Sangin Valley, an area known for intense fighting.
The Department of Defense announced Bagwell's death on May 31, 2007. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart. His remains were returned to the United States for burial.
Bagwell is memorialized on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the Veterans Park of Transylvania County in Brevard, North Carolina. His name is also inscribed on the Wall of the Fallen at the Army Aviation Museum in Fort Rucker, Alabama.
Explore Further
Bagwell was killed during Operation Enduring Freedom (2001?2014). The conflict concluded in December 2014. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.
Among those documented in the same conflict: Andrews, Evander Earl, Edmunds, Jonn Joseph, Stonesifer, Kristofor Tif, Davis, Bryant Leroy.
