Bushes praise ‘star-struck’ soldier

Staff Sgt. Craig Charloux’s phone rang at 8 a.m. Tuesday. His brother Eric was on the line.

Eric Charloux was the first family member to call the soldier after he spent Monday evening seated directly behind first lady Laura Bush during the president’s State of the Union address to Congress.

Charloux, 38, of Hermon frequently came into view as television cameras panned the first lady’s box, and his family members in Maine took notice.

“My sister-in-law mentioned to my brother that it looked like I had kept some of my holiday pounds,” Charloux said with a laugh during a telephone interview from Washington, D.C.

Fame comes with scrutiny.

Charloux was one of 27 guests – and one of six selected from the military – who sat in the first lady’s box as President Bush addressed Congress on Monday night. Charloux said he was selected by a group of U.S. Army officials to attend the event mainly because of his recent deployment to Iraq.

He has been in the Army on and off for nine years. Most recently he has been assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division out of Fort Hood, Texas. He was deployed for 14 months to Diyala Province, Iraq, in 2006, where he served as a squad leader in an Armored Reconnaissance Squadron.

Despite wounds he suffered in two grenade blasts in a September 2007 ambush, Charloux remained on the battlefield and only returned to his wife, Bobbi Jo, and son, Stephen, 9, after his deployment on Nov. 26, 2007. He has received two National Defense Medals, two Army Commendation Medals, an Army Good Conduct Medal and soon will be awarded a Purple Heart for his service.

Charloux, a Hermon native, attended Hermon High School and has three siblings who still remain in town and another who resides in Newport, according to his sister Michelle Reynolds. His parents, Raymond and Joyce Charloux, now live in Florida, Reynolds said.

The highlight of Monday’s events, Charloux said, was having a buffet dinner at the White House and meeting Bush and the first lady. Before the address, the Red Room was open for everyone to view the portraits of past presidents, he said.

Shortly before Bush began, Laura, Barbara and Jenna Bush turned around in their seats and briefly spoke to the soldier.

“All three of them turned around and were very cordial and genuinely appreciative of what we do,” he said.

Once the address was complete, Charloux got his photo taken with Bush and then received his first tour of the city while in a motorcade with other special guests.

Considering all the commotion, don’t ask Charloux to recite any of the president’s annual speech.

“We were really just kind of star-struck, just being small town folks and being invited to the White House,” he said. “It was great.”

During the address, Charloux sat to the right of U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Andrew Kinard, who had lost both his legs in Iraq. Simply being around Kinard was humbling, he said, and “his attitude and spirit was enough to inspire anyone.”

Charloux and his wife stayed up until 2 a.m. Tuesday rehashing the night’s events with fellow special guest U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Andrew Nichols and his wife from Oregon. In addition to discussing the night’s formality, the two military men spoke about their time overseas.

“Being two ground soldiers, we just talked about some of the same dirt we crossed and some of the same type of things that we do,” Charloux said. “As a ground soldier, you don’t get talking too much about policy.”

trobbins@bangordailynews.net

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