To AC’s Brothers and Sisters-in-Arms,
It has taken me awhile to clear my head to a point where I could sit down and write to you all of
my deep gratitude for your selfless gifts, and I apologize for the delay.
You have all made an incredible difference in the lives of the entire Petrie clan, starting first with
Chuck and now trickling down to myself, Matt, Betty, Emily, Greg and Ben. Chuck had always
enjoyed his time spent on the boards, but what has occurred there in these last two years is
nothing short of miraculous from my viewpoint. You all became a lifeline in the uncharted
waters of cancer.
Chuck loved his interactions with people, and especially, the likeminded people he came to truly
know, many without ever meeting in person, here on the forums. Every morning, we would
wake up and our day would begin with me and the dogs heading to the kitchen to “push the
magic button” on our fancy coffee machine that Chuck insisted we buy. I had balked at the cost
of course, as I usually do when it comes to making large purchases, and Chuck, in his usual
way, would convince me that it was worth it…. which it almost always was. So, I would push the
magic button every morning, and make us our usual “chick coffee” as Chuck would call it. The
dogs would stand by for their morning shot of whipped cream, then follow me back to our room
where they would take up position on either side of Chuck who was already, iPad in hand,
watching the morning news and reading the activity that occurred on the boards overnight.
Then, the typing would begin… It would continue on and off throughout the day, and go on till
late in the evening. Everywhere we went, he had his trusty iPad, and I was so glad he had that
connection to the world.
!
Chuck has always been known for his writing abilities. He had an amazing gift for putting words
to paper and conveying thoughts and concepts with clarity and class. His wit, intelligence, and
outlook on life were what attracted me to him from the beginning, back 28 years ago. His sense
of humor was unlike anyone I have known. Thankfully, all three of my children have inherited
facets of their father’s wit, and though I miss his dearly, I see him so clearly in each one of them.
That is an amazing gift!
!
I want each of you to understand what a gift your interactions with him on 1911, M4Carbine,
Weapon Evolution, and a myriad other places were to him. When he lost his ability to go into
work and make a difference for the good of the Army after 29 years of doing that every single
day, he found purpose and camaraderie with you. Looking death in the face changed him, for
the good. Life comes sharply into focus when you go through something like this, and we all
changed. The things that are truly important come to the forefront, and the rest slips away…
our relationship with God, each other, our children, family and friends, became links to
something bigger. Chuck understood this and spent the last 18 months of his life focused on
those things. He wanted to convey that, and based on your outpouring of love and generosity,
both to him and now us, his family, I feel sure that you got his message.
!
Six months have passed now, and though we miss him every day, we are doing well and
continuing on as he would want. The kids are all doing great. There are new grand puppies to
celebrate, and gatherings to be had. Ben and I are looking forward to a trip to Indy to visit with
Matt and Betty. We went to Greg’s graduation in May and enjoyed our time with him and Emily.
Ben will be starting his internship program the beginning of August which will keep him super
busy. I am filling my time with my work as a Realtor and spending time with the friends here who
have become my family. We think about Chuck every day and are so thankful for the time
we’ve had with him.
I sincerely wish that I could meet each of you who spent time with him, interacted with him, and
who made such a difference, both while he was here with us and after. Words aren’t enough to
convey our gratefulness for your friendship and generosity. You’ve made a huge impact on our
lives! THANK YOU! You’ve blessed us more than you could know.
Many blessings to each of you!
Fondly,
Terri Petrie
terri.petrie@gmail.com