When Ty Dillon takes to the track on Thursday afternoon to begin preparations for the Coca-Cola 600, his GEICO Military Camaro ZL1 will carry the name of PFC Charlie C. Anthony. PFC Anthony’s name will be on the windshield header for the full weekend as part of NASCAR’s 600 Miles of Remembrance program that honors fallen service members on Memorial Day weekend.
A special connection to the team, PFC Anthony lived in team owner Bob Germain’s long-time community of Naples, FL. During his selfless service to his country during the Vietnam War, PFC Anthony lost his life in service on May 12, 1969.
“I could not be more proud that our team is honoring PFC Charlie Anthony this weekend in the Coca-Cola 600,” said Germain. “His sacrifice and legacy have left a lasting impact on both Naples and the United States of America. We are honored that his family will be coming up from Florida to join us for the race. I know that they will find the NASCAR community’s patriotism and commitment to the men and women who serve our country to be as inspiring as I have since I joined this sport 14 years ago.”
During the summer of 1968, PFC Anthony was drafted into the United States Army. Knowing he would soon be sent to fight in Vietnam, he married his childhood sweetheart, Laura, and they had one daughter, Cassandra.
He was assigned to serve with the 3rd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment of the 11th Infantry Brigade in the Vietnam War. PFC Anthony made the ultimate sacrifice for the United States of America at the age of 23 near Xuan Thanh, a small village in South Vietnam. The U.S. Army acknowledged his heroic actions in his official citation. “Private Anthony, with complete disregard for his personal safety, attacked, and killed the insurgents. When he and the remainder of the squad tried to prevent some enemy soldiers from skirting the flank of his unit, a firefight ensued that caused Anthony to be fatally wounded.”
Posthumously, he was awarded the Silver Star Medal, Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart. To honor his service, the Naples City Council named a riverfront park near his neighborhood in his honor, Charlie C. Anthony Park. His name also resides on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
“NASCAR does a great job of honoring our service members all season long,” says Dillon, driver of the No. 13 GEICO Military Camaro ZL1. “The 600 Miles of Remembrance program is a special opportunity for our entire series to thank 40 individuals whose sacrifice can never be repaid. It also gives us the chance to acknowledge their families and let them know that their loved one is appreciated. Having PFC Anthony on our car gives us even more motivation heading into the weekend. All our hard work will be dedicated to taking his family to Victory Lane with his name on our car. They all deserve it.”
The Coca-Cola 600 will be run on Sunday, May 27, at Charlotte Motor Speedway and will air live on FOX at 6:00 p.m. ET. Performance Racing Network (PRN) will carry the live radio broadcast, along with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.
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