Their Story
Remembering Charles P. Moses.
Charles Patrick “Charlie” Moses was born in Dallas, Texas, on October 16, 1963, the fifth of twelve children in a close-knit family that shaped everything about him. At West Point, he was a member of Company B-4, “the Buffaloes,” where his classmates gave him the nickname “Mom” for the way he looked after everyone around him.
He played on Army’s football team during its bowl-winning 1984 and 1985 seasons and pursued the demanding pre-med curriculum, all while finding time to tutor classmates who were struggling.
After graduation, Charlie chose Field Artillery and the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas, so he could stay close to his family. On February 25, 1988, he was among ten servicemen killed when their CH-47D Chinook helicopter crashed near Chico, Texas. He and classmates Wayne Locklin and Chris Kurkowski were the first of West Point’s Class of 1986 to lose their lives in service to the country.
To his family, Charlie was so much more than his accomplishments. He was a smart, genuine, fun-loving young man who truly loved life. Always ready with a joke or a playful prank, he had a gift for bringing humor and laughter to almost any situation. As the fifth of twelve children spanning 18 years in age, Charlie’s playful spirit and warm personality helped bring siblings of different ages and stages of life together.
He could be serious when the moment called for it, but his humor, easygoing nature, and ability to make people laugh were such a natural part of who he was. Though his life was far too short, the joy and laughter he brought to his family remain an enduring part of his legacy.
Charlie’s warmth, humor, and generosity left a lasting mark on everyone who knew him. His classmates remember a friend who was quick to laugh, quicker to help, and fiercely loyal to the people he loved. That bond endures: Charlie’s class ring, donated by his family, now sits permanently in the Class of 1986 display in the West Point Library — a place shared, at his family’s wish, with the classmates who meant so much to him.
Be thou at peace, Charlie.