30 Pontoon^ & Deck Boat July^2017 http://www.pdbmagazine.com
CARL WAGNER
After Carl was drafted into the Army on June 9, 1970,
things moved very quickly. His basic training commenced
at Fort Dix, N.J., and was followed shortly thereafter by
advanced training at Fort Rucker, Ala. Trained primarily
to be a door gunner on a Huey, Carl was given secondary
training in aircraft maintenance. And though he was
offered the opportunity to train to be a helicopter pilot, he
declined.
In January of 1971, Carl was sent to Vietnam, where
he was stationed with the 361st aerial weapons company
airmobile in Pleiku, near the borders of Cambodia and
Laos. There, he was immediately able to put that secondary
training to good use in the hangar fixing attack helicopters.
“I never got to be a door gunner,” Carl said.
All his time in Vietnam was spent fixing the Huey AG-1
“Cobras” that were so vital to that conflict. Just as those
attack gunships supported the troops on the ground, Carl
supported the gunships. Carl was back in the states and
out of the Army January 13, 1972. Today Carl and his wife
Suzi enjoy spending time on their Bennington 2275 triple
pontoon that is powered by a 150hp Honda four-stroke on
Lake Norman in North Carolina. The Wagners have spent
quality time on the water for the last 11 years, plus are
very active on the PDB Forum (cwag911) where they spend
a lot of time helping other boaters by answering questions
and offering advice. It’s clear Carl is one of those great
people who is always looking to help other people that
dates back to his time serving our country.