Family, friends and students grieved the funeral of Charles (Chuck) Shannon, who received an honorable service with an extended fire ladder, an American flag and the sounds of a gun salute at Battle Ground High School (BGHS) on Saturday, March 16.
Shannon taught in the Air Force Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (AFJROTC) program at the high school for over two decades.
Shannon’s 26-year career with the U.S. Air Force spanned three enlisted duties and saw him stationed at seven bases, including two in a war zone, his obituary stated. Shannon retired as a chief master sergeant in 2001. Following his retirement, he began his second career as an instructor at BGHS weeks before Sept. 11, 2001, his obituary stated. Shannon was a mentor for over 2,000 cadets in 22 years at the high school.
“He didn’t share a lot of emotion with people. It was hard to read him sometimes, but he cared so deeply about his students,” said Lt. Col. Andrew Woodrow, current AFJROTC teacher and adviser at BGHS after the service. “[He cared] so deeply, and it was evident at the memorial yesterday where we had, I don’t know, over 200 people easily in that room of which probably 100 were former cadets, and that’s the kind of impact he made.”
