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  • Charles Scheffel (right) shakes hands with Enid High student council president Mark Johnson as Scheffel was presented The Pride of the Plainsmen Award during an assembly Friday at the high school. The award is given to an Enid High alum or supporter who has demonstrated excellence in his or her community or field of work. (Staff Photo by BILLY HEFTON)

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May 14, 2010

'See, it was all worth it'

WWII vet one of 4 to receive The Pride of the Plainsmen Award

Chris Dell, Staff Writer Enid News and Eagle

ENID — Enid High School students were taught the importance of law and governance Friday from a man who more than a half-century ago saw a lack of both in war-torn Europe.

Charles Scheffel, retired Army captain and co-author of the book “Crack! and Thump,” was one of four Enid High alumni to receive the Pride of the Plainsmen Award at the school’s auditorium. Scheffel, who now lives in San Antonio, has become a celebrity to history buffs who watched him in seven episodes of the “WWII in HD” miniseries on the History Channel in 2009.

Also recognized were Jerry Long, retired coach and bus driver; Harry Congdon, supervisor of D. Bruce Selby Stadium; and James Sears Bryant, founder of the Oklahoma Storm basketball team and current vice president of business and legal affairs and general counsel at Union Theological Seminary in New York City.

The Pride of the Plainsmen Award is given to Enid High alumni or supporters who have demonstrated excellence in their communities or fields of work. Past recipients include astronaut Owen K. Garriott, opera singer Leona Mitchell and former NFL player Ken Mendenhall.

Scheffel, who graduated from Enid High in 1938, enlisted in the military after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941 and trained with a British army unit before fighting in North Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium and Germany.

Scheffel said his experiences in the war helped shape his view of effective government.

“You’ve got to have a rule of law that applies to all humanity,” said Scheffel, hopeful the class of 2010 would take heed. Scheffel expressed hope the United Nations will be the “only answer for global law.”

Scheffel landed on the coast of Scotland in 1942 as a second lieutenant and quickly learned his decisions meant life or death for his men. He said one of the most important techniques he learned was called “crack and thump.” This lesson taught Scheffel to listen for the sound of the “crack” of an incoming bullet and wait for the “thump” of the enemy’s gun to determine how far away the shooters may be. He went on to teach this technique not only to the 200 men in his squadron, but also to countless other troops stationed in Europe.

He said “crack and thump” was not easy to learn, but ultimately paid dividends.

“When you get under fire, if fear doesn’t take over you’re not a human being,” Scheffel said after the speech. “Someone wants to kill you ... This technique saved my life more than once.”

It also helped Scheffel pick out the name for a book that would be written about his European tour more than 60 years later.

“Crack! and Thump” is a firsthand account of Scheffel’s European campaign, flowing from the mouth of Scheffel to the pen of co-author Barry Basden. The book led to Scheffel appearing on the History Channel show, and the rest is history.

Now Scheffel, walking the streets of San Antonio, says he gets stopped by passers-by and is thanked for his service. He said he was stopped three times in the Oklahoma City airport, because people recognized him from the show. Scheffel said he doesn’t mind the extra recognition, but he is more concerned with using these newfound opportunities to pass along wisdom to America’s younger generations.

A student stopped him as he was getting into his car about an hour after the assembly ended and thanked him for giving his talk. Scheffel looked up and said, “See, it was all worth it,” referencing his decision to make the 500-mile journey.

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