Vincent Robert “Vince” Chitren was born in Sayreville, NJ on November 2, 1938. He attended Catholic schools through eighth grade and public school for high school. He was the valedictorian at both St. Stanislaus Kostka School and Sayreville High School. He graduated from Sayreville High School in June 1956.
Vince came to West Point as a qualified alternate in July 1956. At West Point, he excelled academically, earning “stars” and graduating near the top of his class. Vince had a tremendous capacity for learning in every subject area. He was able to grasp and retain knowledge with seemingly minimal effort and excelled in all subjects with a high degree of ease and confidence. He was always available to help classmates with their studies and with their efforts to master subjects that were the most difficult for them. He was thoughtful and supportive and always seemed to have time for his classmates.
He also excelled as an intramural athlete. He was voted best intramural athlete for Company E-1 in his yearling year. He was a relentless competitor and great teammate. He played on an intramural team during each season for four years. He played each sport with the same dedication he gave to academics. He strove to win by competing fairly to the fullest of his ability.
His cadet years were busy and well spent. He was a member of the Glee Club, the Catholic Choir, the Debate Council and Forum, the Newman Club, the Rocket Society and the Bridge Club.
Vince was a dedicated family man as a son, husband and father. He was very close to his parents and his sister, who visited West Point often. He and his classmates spent many days with his parents, Vincent and Stella, benefitting from their practical wisdom and enjoying the tasteful Polish dishes prepared by his mom, who was the rectory cook at St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish. She fed all of his friends with pirogues and other delicious polish dishes. They made our weekends enjoyable and relaxing. After graduation, he married his high school sweetheart, Bernice.
Vince joined the Signal Corps upon graduation, became a helicopter pilot and later a fixed-wing aircraft pilot. He served two combat tours in Vietnam, where he earned the Bronze Star Medal and an Air Medal. A soldier under Vince’s command in 1968 had the following comment about his leadership: “Major Chitren was my CO while I was stationed in Vietnam in 1968. The first words he spoke to me were ‘I love the Army and my family loves the Army.’ These words in fact concerned me that he would be a rigid, by the book, Army commander. But I experienced that what he meant by stating his love of the Army was that he loved his men and their mission. He was always there for us with a smile on his face and laughter in his heart. He was the best CO I had while serving. We will all miss him” (Vietnam Honor Roll—Dennis Davis).
After attending CGSC, he earned his M.S. in systems analysis in 1973 from the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY and was assigned to the Tactical Fighter Weapons Center at Nellis AFB, NV, where he was stationed until he retired. Vince retired in 1980 as a lieutenant colonel.
After retirement, Vince earned an M.A. in psychological guidance and counseling in 1982 from the University of Colorado and was a practicing psychologist in Las Vegas, NV. His practice was focused on youth counseling. Vince became ill with leukemia in 1983 and, after an eight-year battle, passed away in August 1991. Bernice lived in Las Vegas until she passed away in 2002. They were survived by four sons: Douglas, Philip, Edward and Stephen; and six grandchildren.
In December 2006, the community of Sayreville honored Vince with a ceremony conducted by the veterans of the local American Legion Post and the VFW Post. Vince was honored with a plaque that can be found at the entrance to the borough’s public library.
“Scholar—Athlete—Soldier—Gentleman”: These words on the plaque are a fitting tribute to the life and service of Vince and reflect his classmates’ memories of their distinguished brother. To his roommates, classmates, fellow soldiers, medical colleagues and all whose lives he touched, he is remembered as a caring, thoughtful gentleman. He was conscientious, helpful, dedicated and honest. Simply speaking, he was one of the finest human beings they have been blessed to know.