Charles Canedy

Brigadier General (ret) Charles Canedy died at his home on 29 July with his family after a long battle with cancer. Charlie was born 11 November 1931 in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, to Gladys and Charlie Canedy. He attended Norwich University in Vermont, graduated in 1953, and was commissioned in the US Army. He married Fredrica Dole, his high school sweetheart, and immediately they began their Army adventure. Charlie spent the next 28 years in the Army stationed from Fort Hood to Fort Knox to Korea to Washington to Germany to Fort Sam Houston and many places in between. He loved every minute of it. Over the course of his career he organized and trained one of the first two divisional air cavalry troops; organized, trained, deployed, and fought one of the Army's first three separate Air Cavalry Squadrons in Vietnam; and was the first commander of the 6th Air Cavalry Combat Brigade. In 1962, while in the 1st Armored Division at Fort Hood, he received an order to organize an Air Cavalry troop and to be prepared to fight it if the division received the order to invade Cuba. He scrounged cast off Air Force and Navy weapons, mounted them on H-13s and UH-1As, trained the troop, and planned its employment. Although the invasion did not occur, those who knew Charlie knew that his homemade air cavalry troop would have achieved the world's first victory in aerial mounted combat. In 1967, Charlie was selected to organize, train and deploy the 7th of the 1st Air Cav Squadron which deployed to Vietnam. The tactics developed by his squadron laid the foundation for today's air cav and attack units. In 1973 he took command of the 2d Brigade (Air Cavalry), 1st Cav Division, later renamed the 6th Air Cavalry Combat Brigade. Promoted to brigadier general, he was assigned as the Army Aviation Officer and spearheaded the effort to form the Army's aviation branch. In 1981, following assignment as Chief of Staff of 5th Army, Charlie retired to settle in San Antonio. He began his second career as an agent with USPA & IRA, went on to lead the Geronimo District, and transitioned with the Company to First Command. His love for aviation didn't hold a candle to his love for people. After 23 years with First Command, Charlie retired once again, turning his energy to service in the Windcrest United Methodist Church, revalidated his pilot's license and took back to the skies, and worked on his golf game. And he loved every minute of it. Charlie was preceded in death by his wife Fred. Left to carry on are his sister Ruth and her husband Bud Anderson, his children Sue Canedy, Carol Guillory, Charlie D. Canedy, their spouses and his grandchildren, and his wife Vera and her daughter Tanya. The funeral will be held at Windcrest United Methodist Church on Friday 3 August at 1200. Interment follows at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery at 1345. The family requests in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Windcrest United Methodist Church. Sunset Funeral Home.