Short stories or memories

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dtroopscout

Everyone has a story to tell.. good times not so good . funny or sad , exciting or boring it does not matter.. Let's hear some stories.
BlackHawk Aero Scout forever Dtrp 2-1 CAV.             Willis Townsend

dtroopscout

#1
I'll start it off.. when I transfered to Dtrp 2/1 from the 518th I had to go on a training mission. I was going to be trained by pilot Mr Mateau  and scout gunner Mike (wish I knew his last name) anyway we went to the free fire zone just South of the base along the coast. They ran me threw a couple of scenarios of receiving fire teaching me to pop smoke and how to return fire and that went great right up until the butt of the m-60 hit the latch of the seatbelt....( when we flew we use to sit on squares of armor plating and what ever we wore for a sidearm was pulled around to protect the family jewels)Well when the latch of the belt came undone I found myself hanging on a M-60 that was attached to a bungee cord bouncing up and down out side the ship (not a good thing).. Mean while the armor I was sitting on slid forward and jammed the flight controls (not a good thing).. I can remember seeing Mike trying to reach from the back to unjam the controls and Mr Mateau  using both hands trying to get control.All this time I am watching the ground coming up and the blades coming down knowing my shit could be in the wind.. all this time we are starting to head out over the water. I thought well it was a choice of letting go and maybe survive the fall or wait for the crash and get cut to ribbons (not a good thing).Welllll I decided to let go and at that same time Mike got the armor free and I can remember thinking SHIT!!!! we was over water it just wasn't deep enough.It was maybe 4-5ft deep, well by the time I realized I was going to live and dragged my nearly drowned ass up onto the beach the ship was landing on the beach near me I think we were all thinking the same thing(What the F@##$ just happened here) We finished the training flew back and immediately reversed all the belts on the rest of the LOH's. Then I discretely went and cleaned my shorts .. The end of training..   
BlackHawk Aero Scout forever Dtrp 2-1 CAV.             Willis Townsend

Fred Lohr (D Troop 68-69)

Did you know or hear of a CWO Roger Walker?  He flew cobras after I left in Oct 69.  I was suprised to learn that he was in the 2/1 Cav when I was flying fixed wing in Sinop Turkey in the mid eighties.

:o
RVN 68-69  72-73

Fred Lohr

http://www.fredlohr.com

dtroopscout

Sorry I  >:(don't remember a Roger Walker
BlackHawk Aero Scout forever Dtrp 2-1 CAV.             Willis Townsend

John R McLaughlin

While cleaning out some papers/records i came across the following poem written by PSG Clifford Stocum; C Troop 2/1 Cav 96321.

Chrismas day in Veit Nam
The year 1969
No snow, No Christmas spirit,
And yet we felt just fine.

Located among the paddies,
Knowing Santa won't appear,
When before our wondering eyes,
Came a purveyor of good cheer.

A round eyed girl in a miniskirt
I can't believe it yet,
Was a main attraction
On that you can bet.

Not forgetting the generosity
Of the people in the states,
It was the presence of that gal
That really made it great.

If she lives to be a hundred,
It will never be the same.
For she was loved br four hundred men
Who don't believe in games.

She was the spirit of Christmas,
She was dreams of home.
And to each and every man,
She, was his alone.

She gave out the little bags
And bestowed on each a kiss.
And she will probably never know
What she done with this.

Forever what she does from now,
We will never forget Kay.
She is that touch from home,
That made this a Christmas day.

So tonight we may be peaceful,
Tonight we can be at rest,
For America thought enough,
To send thier very best.

THANKS KAY FROM EACH AND EVERYONE IN THE 2/1 CAV


                                                                  PSG CLIFFORD STOCUM
                                                                  C TRP 2/1 CAV 96321

I wonder what became of this lady, Kay? Wouldn't it be great if she could be located and invited to our next reunion.
Just a thought. I wouldn't know how or where to begin to locate her. She had to have been one of the Donut Dollies. Cliff replaced me in Nam and sence has pass away.

:)

dtroopscout

What a great poem!! I remember a Donut Dollie that was from Bangor, Maine but can't remember her name ? She use to visit us at Dtrp ..Thanks for the Poem
BlackHawk Aero Scout forever Dtrp 2-1 CAV.             Willis Townsend

shutterbug_007

#6
I can vividly recall a time, when our company was in dire need of a fork lift. things were always being moved around and most of it by us guys lifting and carrying whatever needed moved. A couple of the guys from our company, went on a hunt down by the boat loading ramp and the next day a fork lift was presented to the company commander, again I can't recall his name either. I recall, him saying, I don't want to know how you got or where you got the fork lift , I just want to know that if anyone comes looking for it, no one gets into trouble. Seems a set of log books were made and serial numbers removed and new ones somehow showed up on the fork lift. The MP's as I rememebr did come looking at our company, and the log books that were illegally made showed we owned the forklift. Now when the company commander needed his own jeep, again one appeared but only this time, it had to go back.....wish I could recall the guys who took the fork lift, but try and i may, I come up a blank...

ever wonder how many people fell off the guard tower at night that was behiond mess hall, sortof off to a corner there??? I can recall at least three......

Ret. MSGT Robert Tejada
D-troop 2/1 cav  avionics section 69-70

Blackhawk 69

Mike Cron '69 - 70

shutterbug_007

Yes, mike its me good ole "TJ" Robert Tejada from your avionics section. Wow, we are both still kicking and hope all is fine with you. Drop me a line when you can. Wonder where CWO plummer is these days, he was a great avionics section OIC.

62nd Sig Det
2/1 Cav
D-Troop
BLACKHAWK

shutterbug_007

#9
For many yeas now since returning from Viet Nam. I have thought about all the guys in the unit and all the people I had met in Viet Nam during my tour. I often wondered what happen to everyone. It was at this time I started wearing my dog tags as a way to say," Hey, guys, I'm  thinking of you all."
Several times I have been approached by people or asked, why do I wear my dog tags? I tell them all the same response. It's my way of saying, "I never forget the people who served in Viet Nam.

I got to thinking about people always asking me this question and thought I needed somethng to give them that would express my reasons. So in December of 2003 I finally found what I needed and wrote this poem with that thought in mind... I have had this published in a few military newspapers and my hometown newspaper as well. Hope it gives you reason to wear yours, please feel free to copy and distribute to those who may ask you, why you wear your dog tags these days.

Why I Wear My Dog Tags[/b]

Often I am asked
about the dog tags that I wear.
So here in my own words
are the reasons I will share.

I wear them for the soldier's
who serve each day away.
Who risk their lives for freedom
with each passing day.

I wear them for the women
who bravely give their lives.
By being soldier first
and then second being wives.

I wear them for our soldiers
whose valor always shows.
I wear them for the armed forces
that's always on the go.

I wear them for the brave men
who are always in harms way.
who are called upon to do battle
When trouble runs astray.

I wear them for the Veterans
who are no longer around.
Who served there country proudly
and stood there solid ground.

I wear them for the P.O.W's
who never have been found.
To let them know we do care
and are searching all around.

I wear them for all branches
that defend and protect.
this life we love dearly
and the country we respect.

I wear them very proudly
and please make no mistake.
I support our troop in combat
for I know just whats at stake.

I understand the hardships
and the sacrifices made.
I know that in combat
soldiers lives are dearly paid.

I know these things so dearly
of what our soldiers must go through.
For you see my dear fellow
I was once a soldier too.

So that is why I wear them
To show how much I care.
For it was not so long ago
That, I too, once was there.



MSGT (retired) U.S. Army
Robert R Tejada
1969-1970
Viet Nam - LZ Betty

BlackHawk 62nd signal Det
2/1 Cav
Poem written 1 Dec 2003..by me










Blackhawk 69

Great poem TJ very well put.
BTW I think I have a pic of that fork lift. The one that put our shops on the deuce and a halves when we went into Cambodia, right?
Mike Cron '69 - 70

shutterbug_007

hey mike you get my email to you the other day???
TJ

shutterbug_007

Any one rememeber the time when the Rangers were temporaraily assigned to us and they beat up one of ours guys and we all went after them one night armed with anything we could find. Someone gased there Company commander and 1SGt and we got stopped by our commander and told to go back to our tents. We were dead set on getting revenge... dont mess withthe blackhawks

TJ  shutterbug_007

dtroopscout

  TJ it has been awhile since I have checked this topic out.. I want to tell you how proud you made me to think that you did this site honor in blessing it with such an elegant and wonderful piece of artistry... You should be very PROUD... Bill Townsend BlackHawk Aero Scout forever Thanks TJ Also I remember that night that the 82nd gassed us and we had a fight in the club ,, Well it was me and my scouts that gassed them back we surrounded their compound and let go with our M-79 with CS cartridges and threw a few baseball CS grenades and canisters ..I remember their Colonel CO. came and Major Reese Told him to get out of his company area .. I remember that well LOL...       
BlackHawk Aero Scout forever Dtrp 2-1 CAV.             Willis Townsend

shutterbug_007

#14
I do recall we went after them cause they beat one of our guys in the club, so we all returned the favor ,only by , as you said, gasing them, but we had other motives in,mind as well and our commander came and put a stop to us. thank you for the kind words as well. I have searched for anyone from back in the Vn days and had no luck till one day I got a newsletter from Hut. I emailed him back but never got a response though I kept trying and finally came across my old section friend Mike Cron. It was ,and is, so good to hear from him and know he's doing well. Gosh, I wonder where a lot fo the guys from company are these days. Missed you guys more than words could ever convey. While we may have been a part from many ears the brotherhood bond we built lives on forever , no matter what. Today I bow my head in sorrow for all our fallen brothers who did not return but gave the ultimate sacrifice, their lives, may we never forget them and may we bless our fellow soldiers serving our country today. we all stand together, proud, grateful and blessed.

TJ

Robert Tejada