Charles "buddy" Lummus Obituary

Charles "buddy" Lummus attended Klamath Union High School in Klamath Falls, OR. View the obituary, post a memory, or share a photo about Charles "buddy" Lummus.

Graduation Year	Class of 1965
Date of Passing	Dec 19, 2019
About	Charles "Buddy" Lummus passed at the age of 72 of numerous causes on Dec. 14, 2019. Mr. Lummus was born in Klamath Falls, Ore., on Dec. 24, 1946, to Leonard and Virginia Lummus. Buddy was involved in all types of sports. He played football, basketball, baseball, and pole vaulted in track and broke the school record at Klamath Union High School. He graduated in 1965. In August 1966, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and served in combat in the Vietnam War from February 1967 to February 1968. As a member of the 1st Air Calvary, he was a bunker guard and with a convoy battalion. In 1968, Buddy was involved in the "Tet Offensive," which was one of the worst battles in the history of the Vietnam War era. He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal for three operations, the Meritorious Citation for saving a man's life, a presidential unit citation, asharpshooter commendation and the Good Conduct Medal. Buddy was rated 100 percent service-connected disability from the Vietnam War. His last wish was for people to respect and help veterans because they put their lives on the line for your freedom and the veterans have to suffer their emotional and physical wounds for the rest of their lives. He was a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Pelican Post and the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 12. Mr. Lummus returned from Vietnam in 1968 and decided to go back into playing music as a keyboard player. This was one of the goals that gave him hope to stay alive and come home from Vietnam. He went on the road, playing with various bands throughout the years. Buddy was a former back up artist for the Drifters, Posters, Olympics, Mary Wells, Ben E. King, Bob Seger and Jefferson Starship. He played various styles of music, ranging from contemporary jazz, rhythm and blues, rock 'n' roll, to country music. He played locally at the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion