About the Author

Background

Retired from the United States Marine Corps, July 1, 1993 as a Chief Warrant Officer with 23 years and two months active duty service. Combat duty includes Vietnam and Lebanon. Decorations include Combat Action Ribbon and Meritorious Service Medal. Training included: infantry skills, combat tactics and leadership, special operations and terrorism (anti and counter), sniper, reconnaissance, parachute, infantry weapons, survival in desert and jungle environments, rough terrain skills (mountaineering), cold weather, water survival qualified (both from ground and aviation perspectives) (highest possible water survival rating), marksmanship and instruction of marksmanship (competition in arms program, shooting team member at Quantico), and public affairs (public affairs officer, combat correspondent, photojournalist, print and broadcast journalist).

In 1976 received Commercial Airplane Pilot Certification (commercial pilot license) with Instrument Airplane rating.

In 1997 licensed as a commodity futures broker and commodity futures brokerage firm manager. Worked as Director of Commodities and Communications at National Livestock Producers Association and as General Manager of NLPA’s National Producers Service Company (a national commodity futures brokerage firm whose primary business was assisting livestock producers in risk management, marketing and hedging their enterprises) until July 1999. Resigned to the position to write books full-time.

For two years prior to joining the Marine Corps worked as a newspaper reporter and sports editor for the Artesia Daily Press in New Mexico, also a stringer reporter for United Press International.

After Marine Corps service pursued career as full-time, free-lance journalist. Also operated family cattle ranching operation in Oklahoma until 1997 when accepting the executive position with National Livestock Producers Association.

While working as a free-lance journalist, returned to Vietnam on assignment for LIFE Magazine with friend and colleague, Dirck Halstead, then senior White House photographer for TIME Magazine. After completing LIFE assignment, remained in Vietnam and filmed a documentary that examined the end of the Vietnam War. While shooting the documentary, gathered material and compiled interviews for Goodnight Saigon, published January 4, 2005 by the G. P. Putnam / Berkley Publishing Group, Penguin Group (USA), New York, New York.

Today, resides at Peyton, Colorado, near Colorado Springs, writing books, and breeding, raising and developing registered American Quarter Horses for professional rodeo and futurity competition.

Charles Henderson
Journalist, Author, and Marine

Education

Graduated Artesia High School, Artesia, NM, June 1966

S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, 1981 (Photojournalism) (graduated first in class, Department of the Navy Photojournalism Program)

Cameron University, Lawton, OK, 1997 (Animal Science), Bachelor of Science with honors, Cum Laude, Phi Kappa Phi

University of Maryland, Far East Campus (basic education)

Loyola University, New Orleans (philosophy).

Total education: more than 200 university-level semester hours.

Life Member of Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society

Affiliations and Memberships

– Authors Guild of America
– The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi (Life Member)
– American Quarter Horse Association (Life Member)
– Veterans of Foreign Wars (Life Member)
– Beirut Veterans of America (Life Member)
– United States Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association (Life Member)
– The American Legion
– United States Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation
– United States Marine Corps Scout/Sniper Association (Ambassador)
– Marine Corps Association
– National Rifle Association
– Ben Lomond Gun Club
– Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation