Christopher J. Childs, III, Age 30

MOS:84B20: Still Photographic Specialist

Killed in GhostRiders 079 shootdown

http://www.virtualwall.org/dc/ChildsCJ01a.htm

Some of Chris’s last shots

Chris Childs, III Photo Collection
Contributed, in memory of his father, by Christopher J. Childs, IV

I have some personal recollection of Chris Childs.  I was the OIC of the Pleiku Detachment for about a month or so in approximately Jan to Feb of 1970.  Childs was my only active combat photographer during this time (or at least the only one I remember).  My recollection is that Chris liked to work alone.  I don't believe I ever went out with him.  His method was to go down to one of the 4th Div headquarters and wait for something to happen in the field.  He'd stay there all night if necessary and wait.  When he heard that some "shit" was happening, he would go out on the first MedEvac chopper.  Chris would get off as the wounded were getting on.  His hope was that he could get into the action for some real combat shots. At the time, I was not impressed with his work.  I remember some sort of dark, slightly blurry shots of people’s backs firing weapons.  I believe I tried to convince him that the pictures he was getting could easily be "set up" and done much better without actually being under enemy fire. I remember too being very concerned that he was taking chances without any real orders from Seapc to do so.  He could have confined himself to safer duty and it would have been fine with me.  If my memory is correct, Chris was married and had a child.  I tried to impress upon him that I didn't want to have to write one of those NOK letters home to his wife.   He didn't buy this at all.  He stood his ground.  He explained that Army Photo was his career.  What better chance would he have to make rank and be successful for his family.  He would say that it was very important to him that his pictures be the "real" thing.  Faking it would not do for Chris.  Over the past 40 plus years, I’ve often thought of Chris, especially in those moments when others were urging me to cut corners.  “Let’s fake it, who’s going to know?” they’d say. It was in those moments that I thought of you Chris.  I’d get my back up and say, “I’ll know. That’s who’ll know.  I’ll know.”  
   - Paul Berkowitz, 1st Lt. 221st Signal.