After almost 60 years, two US Marines meet again in Tulsa

Wednesday, August 25th 2004, 10:12 am

By: News On 6

Have you lost touch with a friend, hoping to see them again, but never thinking you would? It happened for two Tulsa US Marine veterans who reunited Wednesday after almost 60 years apart.

News on 6 reporter Patrina Adger was there for their emotional reunion.

"They used to have what they called teen town!" "That's where we'd go to teen town and dance with the girls!"

76 year old retired US Marine Chuck Childers can't help but to laugh when he talks about the good old' days, "running around" as he calls it, with his best buddy and fellow US Marine Dan Hall.

The two entered the Marine Corp in 1945 toward the end of World War II, but never served together.

Chuck was sent to China and Dan went on to serve in the Korean War. The two lost track of each other for 58 years until a phone call last January.

Charles Childers: "He called me and I said, 'Is this Chuck Childers?' and I said, 'Is this Dan Hall? And we started right there." And after months of waiting for this moment, it has finally come.

Dan Hall: "I wasn't expecting all this, I just wanted to come and see a friend I haven't seen in about 60 years."

It's been 58 years, and there's lots of catching up to do. "I didn't want to take him around my girlfriends very often!" And of course old stories to share.

They're grateful to Darla Hall who made it all happen. Itâ€™s a time they never thought they'd live to see and a friendship they say will last for the rest of their lives. The two Marines reunited after Darla Hall a Webster High School alumni found Dan's number in the school's directory.

Dan was on his way home to Bakersfield from a Marine reunion in Tennessee and decided to stop in Tulsa to see his buddy Chuck.