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Remember...Ted Howard Christian Jr.
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| Ted Howard Christian Jr. was born April 7, 1944, in Charleston, West Virginia, the son of Ted and Hazel Lamb Christian. Ted, called "Teddy," graduated from Gauley Bridge High School and West Virginia Tech. Teddy was a member of Gauley Baptist Church and the Lions Club. |  Ted Howard Christian Jr., WV Tech |
Ted H. Christian entered the Marine Corps on October 15, 1966, and while in Quantico, Virginia, completed a 10-week officer's candidate course concentrating on individual responsibility as leader and tactical control and employment of small combat units. In December 1966 he received a commission as a second lieutenant and entered The Basic School at Quantico as a member of Class 4-67, earning an Infantry Officer Military Occupation Specialty upon graduation in May 1967.
Second Lieutenant Ted H. Christian began his tour of duty in Vietnam on June 2, 1967. He served with Company A, First Battalion, Ninth Marine Division, Third Marines. On October 12, he was at Con Thien in Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam, where he was killed in action from recoilless rifle fire. His body was returned to the United States later that October and was buried in Montgomery Memorial Park in London, West Virginia. He is memorialized on panel 27 E of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC.
June 2018 correspondence and documents from Dr. Kenneth Bailey provide additional detail about the life of the well-known young athlete, scholar, and military man. Teddy was a West Virginia Tech classmate of Dr. Bailey's brother, who also lost his life in the Vietnam conflict. As early as 1962, Teddy made the newspaper, when a Charleston Daily Mail (June 7, p. 36) article about local high schools reported on the results of the Gauley Bridge High School yearbook "Who's Who" poll. He was one of the students listed as "most popular."
Much of his fame from his college years was based on his prowess on the football field. Both the Daily Mail and the Raleigh Register of September 21, 1965, mention the talented football player:
Tech Coach Charlie Cobb was pleased with the passing, but even more pleased with junior fullback Ted Christian, 207-pounder from Gauley Bridge. He rushed for 99 yards in 17 carries. (Bill Smith, "Herd Tests Air Defense; Cobb and Talbott Pleased," Charleston Daily Mail, 21 September 1965, p. 12.)W. Va. Tech, which downed W. Va. State 21-12 in its opener takes on Concord, a loser last week to Bluefield which scored in the last minutes to win 26-21.
Tech has a powerful offense including last year's total offense leader Jerry Townson, throwing effectively to Darrell Elam and backed up by the running of Ted Christian. ("WVC Grid Action," Raleigh Register, 21 September 1965, p. 9.)
Before he left for military service, Teddy had already become involved in community service; his obituary points to the fact that he was a member of the Lions Club. After his passing, the first Gauley Bridge VFW organization was created and named "Ted Christian Post 8366." ("Gauley Bridge VGW Post Holds Installation Services," Beckley Post-Herald, 4 February 1974, p. 10.) Thus, Ted Christian left a legacy not often associated with a twenty-three-year old.
Article updated by Patricia Richards McClure based on information received from Dr. Kenneth Bailey
August 2019
West Virginia Archives and History welcomes any additional information that can be provided about these veterans, including photographs, family names, letters and other relevant personal history.
