Working Draft-Winter 2014blackhawkassn.org/news/hawktalk/2014/2014-winter-hawktalk.pdf · treason...

Winter Issue, 2014Director Andy Knight [email protected]

Deputy Director Fred Young [email protected]

Treasurer Roland Leeds [email protected]

Secretary Mike Bowman [email protected]

Past Director Ben Bentley [email protected]

Directors at Large Elvis Bray [email protected] Pat Unger [email protected] Jim Breisch [email protected]

Quartermaster Richie Kloepfer [email protected]

Membership Mike Peterson [email protected]

Webmaster Tim Williams [email protected]

Historian Edward Thomas [email protected]

Editor Ben Bentley [email protected]

HawkTalk7th Armored Squadron 1st Air Cavalry

“Blackhawks”ANIMO ET FIDE

From The Desk of The Blackhawk Director: Random Thoughts The first item that I wanted to share a few comments on is our current Blackhawk Web Site. As many of you know who have tried to access this site or actually visited it lately, it is s?ll not as good as the old website or up to the new website standards that we are shoo?ng for. The Board of Directors has a commiCee working hard to rec?fy the current issues with this site to include capturing the old Blackhawk history, and the sign-‐in and comments pos?ng areas.

We are working with our current webmaster that was recently given specific deadlines to meet. If these are not met, we will be moving on to another web master to get our site back to where it needs to be by this summer at the latest. Sorry for the delay in having this completed, but some of this technical stuff has taken longer than expected. I really want to have this issue resolved before I turn over the reigns of being your Director at the next reunion.

Speaking of the next reunion, the past and current issues of the Blackhawk NewsleCer have the details for our upcoming reunion in Florida. Please take the ?me to look at this informa?on now and make your plans/reserva?ons to insure availability at the hotel, etc.

Lynn Bray recently wrote a short story based on an experience that he had during his tour in Viet Nam. AMer reading the story, it was obvious that all of us have at least one story or specific episode that you experienced during your ?me in country. Lynn and I have been discussing the possibility of puNng together a small book or at a minimum, publishing these stories in future Hawk Talk issues.

You don’t have to be an experienced writer to contribute. Just jot down your thoughts over the next several months, and either pass them along in rough draMs to Lynn Bray, me or Ben Bentley. We will clean them up and return them to you for a final read before any distribu?on. We will also try to record some of these experiences verbally at our next reunion on tape which we can then transcribe.

(Con?nued On Following Page)

Silent Spurs

Sadly since the last edition of Hawk Talk, a new name has been added to the Silent Spurs Roster:

Robert (Bob) I. Zedaker, Jr. (HHC Troop), died January 6, 2014

It is our prayer that he is resting peacefully at Fiddler’s Green

mailto:[email protected]


























From The Desk of The Blackhawk Director: Random Thoughts (Continued)

I feel that this is an excellent idea to preserve some of our history before it is lost forever. It does not have to be a combat experience. It could be your initial feelings/observations as you deployed, your first experience in country, or just a humorous experience during our day to day war time activities. Please give this some thought and respond if you can.

Keep an eye on your government leaders. There are big plans to drastically cut our military and reduce its strength and effectiveness. If you feel the need, send an email or call your congressman to voice your concerns. We see this type of action after every major conflict in our history. Our Country’s strength has always been our strong military and the dedicated individuals who have served in it.

My wife Suzanne and I look forward to seeing you all at our next reunion where we can continue to share our fellowship and make new friends as well. Bring your suntan lotion! AndyAndrew Knight

Reunion Progress Update

The following Is a list of those Blackhawks who have reserved rooms for the 2014 Reunion as of February 20, 2014. Don’t be left out of a GREAT Reunion---Sign Up TODAY!!!

! Bentley, Ben! ! ! B Troop / 1968-1969! ! CPT! Bevins, Gordon! ! C Troop / 1969-1970! ! SP/5! Bogna, Lyle! ! ! D Troop / 1967-1969! ! SGT! Bray, Elvis! ! ! C Troop / 1968-1969! ! SP/5!! Dike, Joe! ! ! C Troop / 1967-1969! ! SP/5! Free, Jerry! ! ! B Troop / 1967-1969! ! MAJ! George, Robert! ! A Troop / 1970-1971! ! SP/5! Hamiel, Owen! ! C Troop / 1968-1969! ! SP/5! Hill, Ron! ! ! A & HHT / 1967-1968 & 1972! MAJ / LTC ! Holland, Russ! ! A Troop / 1971-1972! ! CPT! Kloepfer, Richie! ! A Troop / 1968-1969! ! SP/4! Mellon, Mike!! ! A Troop / 1967-1968! ! CW2! O’Reilly, Mike! ! C Troop / 1967-1968! ! SP/5! Peterson, Mike! ! C Troop / 1968-1969! ! SP/5! Pilgreen, Glen! ! D Troop / 1968-1969! ! SP/4! Reynolds, Jack! ! A Troop / 1967-1969! ! SSG! Robinson, Hugh! ! B Troop / 1967-1969! ! SSG! Scott, David! ! ! A Troop / 1967-1968! ! SGT! Stebelton, Art! ! B Troop / 1967-1968! ! SP/5! Taylor, Maria-Elena ! Tisdale, Basil (Dave) ! C Troop / 1968-1969! ! 2LT! Tomlinson, Dave! ! C Troop / 1968-1969! ! SP/4! Unger, Pat! ! ! A & D Troop / 1969-1970! ! 1LT! Young, Fred! ! ! B Troop / 1968-1969! ! 1LT

**********Don’t let these 23 Troopers (and their significant others) have all the fun!!**********There’s still plenty of rooms in the hotel and the Sunset Cruise can handle 80 Passengers.

Get YOUR name on the list NOW!!!

Editor’s Note: The following article regarding the history of Fernandina is an abbreviated extract (made for space considerations) from a local newspaper article provided by Mike O’Reilly. The Historic Florida House mentioned in the article

is where we will have the 2014 Reunion’s Friday luncheon.

Fernandina Plan: Guns for Cuba Invasion

! In January of 1895, Fernandina became forever entwined with the Cuban Independence Movement. The city was chosen by poet, journalist, scholar and freedom fighter Jose Marti as the launching point of a planned invasion of men and arms meant to liberate Cuba from Spanish control. The plot became known as the Fernandina Plan. ! Born in Havana in 1853, Jose Marti took a revolutionary stance from an early age. At 16, he was arrested for treason because of a disapproving letter he’d written to a friend who joined the Spanish Army. Marti was sentenced to 6 years in prison, with the shackles that bound him badly lacerating his legs, leaving scars for the rest of his life. Due to his illness, he was eventually returned to Spain to continue his education in the hopes that his experience would mold him into a loyal Spanish subject.! Exile only served to strengthen his Cuban patriotism, leading him to join other exiles in discussing and writing about Cuban Independence. After earning a degree in civil law, he traveled to Paris and throughout Europe, teaching, writing and translating. Barred from returning to Cuba, he moved to Mexico where be became active in journalism, using his platform to speak out about Spanish rule. He traveled widely in the US and Latin America, speaking to groups of Cuban expatriates and making connections to help free Cuba from Spanish rule. In 1892, he founded the Cuban Revolutionary Party--a group who felt the only way to liberate Cuba was through armed conflict with Spain.! In the fall of 1894, Marti arrived in Fernandina and began organizing the expedition he hoped would spark a revolution in Cuba. Staying at the Florida House, he met with other conspirators and began the process of stock piling arms for his invasion with the help of local businessman Nathaniel Borden. The conspirators traveled to New York City to charter 3 steam-powered yachts that would leave Fernandina loaded with hundreds of weapons bound for Cuba. Splitting up, the 3 ships were to make stops in Key West, Santo Domingo and Costa Rica respectively, where Cuban liberation forces would be waiting to board. ! Marti and Manuel Mantilla (the oldest son of Marti’s mistress) with the assistance of Borden, traveled to New York City, posing as a father-son team who owned mineable land in Cuba. They planned to surreptitiously charter three ships (the Armadis, the Lagonda, and the Baracoa) to take workers, tools, and equipment to mine their claim. The ship’s captains would be kept ignorant of their actual objective. If any captain discovered the plot, he was to be confined to his cabin until the mission was complete. The word was sent to Cuba that the plot would be put into action in January 1895.! However, the plot was doomed from the outset, since one of the plotters, Fernando Lopez de Queralta was reluctant to lie to his ship’s captain, instead telling him of the true purpose of their mission hoping to gain his consent. Against Marti’s orders, Queralta labeled his cargo as “military articles” and left the ammunition crates undisguised. This tipped the authorities to be on the lookout for “suspicious crafts”.! When the Lagonda arrived in Fernandina, the ship was searched, but nothing was found since the guns were still in Borden’s warehouse. However, a few days later when the arms had been loaded, the Lagonda’s captain reported Borden and Mantilla to the local Collector of Customs. He sent his deputy Collector to investigate but Borden refused to let him examine the contents of what was seen as “suspicious crates”. The ship was kept under observation while direction was sought from Washington regarding how to proceed. The US Treasury Department responded that the vessel should be investigated thoroughly. The message was delivered to Borden rather than directly to the Customs Officials. Mantilla panicked and ordered all of the guns thrown overboard. ! Several of the boxes were found floating down the Amelia River by stevedores, who turned them over to the Custom Officials. The Lagonda was seized and Borden’s warehouse was searched by federal officers. 140 crates were confiscated containing 100 Winchester rifles, 200 Remington rifles and 100 Colt revolvers.! When the Baracoa arrived in Fernandina, it was seized and searched, but when it was found empty, it was sent back to its owner in New York. The Amadis, delayed by repairs and bad weather, sat docked in Savannah. Upon hearing of the fate of the two other ships, the captain cancelled the charter and returned home.! Meanwhile, Marti who was still in New York, heard of the set-back and went to Jacksonville to meet with other Cuban Revolutionary Party members to decide how to proceed. Borden swore under oath the arms did not belong to Manteli (who consequently did not exist), and the crates of weapons were returned to Borden’s warehouse for shipment to Philadelphia where the revolutionaries would later recover them. While the Fernandina Plan seemed to be an abject failure, international press coverage showed Cuban expatriates that Marti was both serious and organized, and they rallied to his cause with greater support.! On February 24, 1895, Marti and his fellow revolutionaries reached the shores of Cuba and began engaging the Spanish forces. During the Battle of Dos Rios on May 19, Marti was shot and killed while leading a 2-man charge on the Spanish line. His compatriots were unable to recover his body and Marti was buried by the Spanish in Santiago, Cuba.! Cuban revolutionaries continued to battle Spanish forces for three years. In April 1898, the US entered the conflict, thus beginning the Spanish-American War. By July 17, the Spanish sued for peace. Although the treaty officially recognized Cuban independence from Spain, the US did not allow Cuban forces to participate in the Spanish surrender.! Jose Marti is remembered as an influential author and poet in the Spanish language, and as a martyr for freedom. Monuments in his memory have been erected not only in Cuba and the US, but all over the world. Memorials in Rome, Bulgaria and the Philippines are a testament to his influence.

BLACKHAWK REUNION 2014Thursday Aug. 21st. – Sunday Aug. 24th.

Hampton Inn and Suites – Historic Harbor District19 South 2nd Street, Fernandina Beach, Fl. 32034 on Amelia Island

Phone: 904-‐491-‐4911

# of people Sub-‐TotalRegistra?on Fee ( Covers all refreshments in Hospitality Room)................. $25.00ea. X ________ = ________

Thurs. 8/21 6:30 – 8:30p.m. Sunset Cruise................................................... $26.00ea. X ________ = ________ (Includes music, soda, beer & wine) Note: There is a max of 80 passengers on Cruise-‐-‐-‐Register Early

Fri. 8/21 9a.m. – 1p.m. Tour of Fort Clinch................................................... $22.00ea. X ________ = ________ (Guided Tour, includes transporta?on)

Fri. 8/21 1 – 3p.m. Lunch at the Historic Florida House................................ $23.00ea. X ________ = ________ Meal Choices: (Please Indicate # of Each Choice) SHRIMP & GRITS: Green & Red Peppers/Onions/Grape Tomatoes/Garlic/Cheese Grits _______ CHICKEN BUCKET: 3 Pieces of Fried Chicken/Potato Salad/BuCermilk Biscuit w/Honey _______ PULLED PORK: House Smoked Pork/Potato Salad/Coleslaw ______ DESSERT: Famous Bread Pudding/Vanilla Bourbon Sauce BEVERAGES: Coffee/Tea/Soda Sat. 8/23 5:30 – 10:30p.m. Banquet Dinner (Menu on Following Page).............. $55.00ea. X ________ = ________ (Burns Hall-‐-‐ 6 blocks from hotel, transporta?on included ) REUNION TOTAL = ________

COMPLETE AND SEND THIS REGISTRATION FORM TO: BLACKHAWK ASSOCIATION c/o Roland Leeds 1140 Chestnut Street Ann Arbor, MI. 48104 Make check payable to: Blackhawk Associa?on

NAME (How you want it on your name tag) ___________________________TROOP______

# of YEAR(S) With 7/1st_________ RANK with 7/1st_________ RETIREMENT Rank_________

SPOUSE or GUESTS NAME ____________________________________________________

EMERGENCY CONTACT PERSON ______________________________________________

ANY DIETARY RESTRICTIONS ? _______________________________________________

ARRIVAL DATE____________________ DEPARTURE DATE ________________________

ARE YOU STAYING at the HAMPTON INN?? YES _____ or NO _____ARE YOU DRIVING _____ or FLYING _____ (Transportation From Airport: AFFORDABLE TRANSPORTATION – 904-556-2872)

Huey Rides at 2014 ReunionIn the Fall Edition of HawkTalk, I placed an inquiry about the interest of having a Huey ride available at the next reunion.

Unfortunately, there was not sufficient interest indicated to meet the minimum financial requirement to bring the helicopter and crew to conduct the rides. Therefore, the Huey ride has been dropped from the reunion activities.

Thanks, Mike O’Reilly, C Troop ’67-’68

BLACKHAWK REUNION 2014

Hotel Informa<on:

Hampton Inn and Suites -‐ Historic Harbor District19 South 2nd Street , Fernandina Beach, FL (on Amelia Island)

Phone: 904-‐491-‐4911 Rates: Standard or Whirlpool Room: $109 / One Bedroom Suite: $119 (All Rates include breakfast) Notes: Be sure to menFon Blackhawks when you call for reservaFons to get these rates Rates are good from August 18th through August 27th Rooms are limited -‐-‐-‐ Please make reservaFon EARLY

Airport:

Jacksonville Airport, 30 minutes from HotelGround Transporta?on, Contact: AFFORDABLE TRANSPORTATION (904-‐556-‐2872)

I<nerary:

Wednesday, August 20th Early Arrivals -‐ No Hospitality Room Available (Plenty of shops and restaurants to keep you busy for the day) Thursday, August 21st Hospitality Room Open Breakfast in the Sunroom overlooking the pool on the 2nd floor 6:30 -‐ 8:30 pm Twilight Cruise on the Amelia River with music, beer & wine) (Dock is 1 block from hotel) Friday, August 22nd Hospitality Room Open Breakfast in the Sunroom -‐ 2nd floor 9:00 am -‐ 1:00 pm Historic Guided Tour of Ft. Clinch 1:00 -‐ 3:00 pm Luncheon at the Historic Flordia House (1 block from hotel) Rest of the day for shopping & sight seeing & visi?ng Saturday, August 23rd Breakfast in Sunroom 9:00 -‐ 11:00am Annual Associa?on Business Mee?ng in Hospitality Room 5:30 -‐ 10;30 pm CockTails and Buffet Banquet (See menu below) Sunday, August 24th Breakfast & Farewells un?l next year in Scaramento, CA

Buffet Banquet:

Baked Brie en Croute with CrackersStuffed with Cajun Pecans, Brown Sugar, Maple Syrup and a drizzle of Whiskey

Spinach & Ar?choke Dip with Tor?lla ChipsFruit & Cheese PlaCer

Green Salad with Strawberries, Bleu Cheese, Candied Nuts with a Balsamic DressingTarragon Peppercorn Flank Steak with Horseradish Sauce

Chicken Carbonara with Penne PastaSalmon

Garlic Mashed PotatoesGreen Beans with Caramelized Onions

Rolls & BuCerIce Tea & Coffee

Hot Chocolate Fudge Cake with Whipped CreamCash Bar

BLACKHAWK ASSOCIATION Sales Order Form Units Member

Prices

Non-‐Member Prices

Sub Total

Black Three Season Jacket with Crest Embroidered on BackSizes: M____L____XL____ 86.00 94.00 2XL____3XL____ 96.00 104.00 Add Crossed Saber Emblem on LeM Chest of 3 Season Jacket 10.00 10.00Black Windbreaker Jacket with Large Crest Embroidered on Back Sizes: M____L____XL____ 55.00 60.00 2XL____3XL____ 60.00 65.00 Add Crossed Saber Emblem on LeM Chest of Windbreaker 10.00 10.00Grey Polo with Emblem Embroidered on LeM Chest (with Pocket) Sizes: M____L____XL____ 25.00 27.00 2XL____3XL____ Emblem: Crest____ or Sabers____ 28.00 30.00Grey Polo with Emblem Embroidered on LeM Chest (NO Pocket) (Made in USA)Grey Polo with Emblem Embroidered on LeM Chest (NO Pocket) (Made in USA)Grey Polo with Emblem Embroidered on LeM Chest (NO Pocket) (Made in USA) Sizes: M____L____XL____ 28.00 30.00 2XL____3XL____ Emblem: Crest____ or Sabers____ 30.00 32.00T-‐Shirts with Emblem Embroidered on LeM Chest (Made in USA) Color: Tan____Black____Light Gray____ Sizes: M____L____XL____ 15.00 17.00 2XL____3XL____ Emblem: Crest____ or Sabers____ 17.00 19.00 Add Pocket 2.00 2.00Black Cap with Embroidered Emblem Emblem: Crest____ Sabers____ / Mesh Back____ Solid Back____ Emblem: Crest____ Sabers____ / Mesh Back____ Solid Back____ 15.00 17.00Brushed CoCon Twill Cap / Solid Back Only / Stone Color Only (Made in USA) Brushed CoCon Twill Cap / Solid Back Only / Stone Color Only (Made in USA) 17.00 19.00Blackhawk Bumper S?cker 3.00 4.00Blackhawk Coffee Mug 10.00 11.007th of the 1st Blackhawk Crossed Sabers (Brass) (Pair) 15.00 16.00Blackhawk Crest (Pair) 15.00 16.00Blackhawk 3-‐Inch O.D. Patch 5.00 6.00Blackhawk 3-‐Inch Color Patch 5.00 6.00Blackhawk 8-‐Inch Color Patch 15.00 17.001st Avia?on Brigade O.D. Patch 6.00 7.001st Avia?on Brigade Color Patch 6.00 7.00Blackhawk Challenge Coin 1 each 13.00 15.00Blackhawk Challenge Coin(orders of 4 or more, the per coin price is) 12.00 14.00Blackhawk License Plate 10.00 12.00Blackhawk Decals (Vinyl with adhesive backing) Single Decal (4 Inch Round -‐ same design as on coffee mug) 3.00 4.00 Single Decal (4 Inch Square -‐ same design as on coffee mug) 3.00 4.00 Two or More, price per pair (4 Inch Round) 5.00 6.00 Two or More, price per pair (4 Inch Square) 5.00 6.00

Are You Current With Your Dues?? Are You Current With Your Dues?? Are You Current With Your Dues?? Are You Current With Your Dues?? ORDER TOTAL:ORDER TOTAL:MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: Blackhawk Associa?on (NOTE: Shipping Is Included On ALL Merchandise)MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: Blackhawk Associa?on (NOTE: Shipping Is Included On ALL Merchandise)MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: Blackhawk Associa?on (NOTE: Shipping Is Included On ALL Merchandise)MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: Blackhawk Associa?on (NOTE: Shipping Is Included On ALL Merchandise)MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: Blackhawk Associa?on (NOTE: Shipping Is Included On ALL Merchandise)MAIL ORDER TO: Richie Kloepfer 2 Manderley Lane Ormond Beach, FL 32174 PHONE: 1-‐386-‐615-‐0635MAIL ORDER TO: Richie Kloepfer 2 Manderley Lane Ormond Beach, FL 32174 PHONE: 1-‐386-‐615-‐0635MAIL ORDER TO: Richie Kloepfer 2 Manderley Lane Ormond Beach, FL 32174 PHONE: 1-‐386-‐615-‐0635MAIL ORDER TO: Richie Kloepfer 2 Manderley Lane Ormond Beach, FL 32174 PHONE: 1-‐386-‐615-‐0635MAIL ORDER TO: Richie Kloepfer 2 Manderley Lane Ormond Beach, FL 32174 PHONE: 1-‐386-‐615-‐0635NAME ____________________________________________________________NAME ____________________________________________________________NAME ____________________________________________________________ADDRESS _________________________________________________________ CITY ___________________________ADDRESS _________________________________________________________ CITY ___________________________ADDRESS _________________________________________________________ CITY ___________________________ADDRESS _________________________________________________________ CITY ___________________________ADDRESS _________________________________________________________ CITY ___________________________STATE __________________________ ZIP ______________________________ PHONE # _(_____)_______-‐__________________STATE __________________________ ZIP ______________________________ PHONE # _(_____)_______-‐__________________STATE __________________________ ZIP ______________________________ PHONE # _(_____)_______-‐__________________STATE __________________________ ZIP ______________________________ PHONE # _(_____)_______-‐__________________STATE __________________________ ZIP ______________________________ PHONE # _(_____)_______-‐__________________

Answered PrayerBy Elvis Bray

The muffled whine of the 1100 hp. turbine engine, the rush of wind through the open door and the dis9nct whop-‐whop-‐whop of the UH-‐1H Huey helicopter blades were the only sounds in the vast black emp9ness of the Mekong Delta. A lifeless half-‐moon shined through scaEered clouds high above. There was no radio traffic, no tracers and no flares in sight. An endless sea of elephant grass below spanned for miles in all direc9ons like a calm gray sea, riddled with small canals like black snakes winding their way east out of Cambodia.

Two Killer Cobra gunships followed close behind us at 1200 feet, pa9ently wai9ng to wreak havoc on the enemy at a moment’s no9ce. Another thousand feet above and behind them, the command ship piloted by Major Albert Rodriguez kept a watchful eye. The 7th Armored Squadron of the 1st Air Cavalry Blackhawks was on the prowl and someone would probably die tonight.

I had no idea what month it was and couldn’t have cared less. They all ran together, anyway, and were divided only by the wet and dry seasons. This was the beginning of the dry season. Just one of 365 days I would spend in Vietnam in 1968 during my first tour. But this was no typical day. It was a night mission, and the nights belonged to the Viet Cong.

I sat in the door gunner’s seat on the right side of my helicopter manning twin M60 machine guns. Mounted at my feet were two large metal ammo boxes containing 7.62 rounds. To my le] sat a large cyclop9c cluster of lights mounted to the floor of my helicopter. Ten one million candle waE landing lights had been configured into a four foot round disk poin9ng at a ninety degree angle from my helicopter.

The code name for our mission was “firefly.” I could just imagine an officer, probably a West Pointer, coming up with the idea, and some backwoods farm boy with his welder construc9ng the monstrosity in one of the hangers back in Vinh Long. It reminded me of the car dealerships using giant lights that crisscrossed the skies to adver9se car sales. Back in Arizona, their sole purpose was to draw aEen9on to the area. That wasn’t such a good idea in the Plain of Reeds. This was a free-‐fire zone and anything that moved got killed.

I didn’t know if the thing actually worked or not. I assumed they had tested the damned thing before moun9ng it. The concept was simple enough: fly back and forth along the Cambodian border at low level, looking for sampans

crossing into South Vietnam carrying supplies for the VC. Find the sampans, turn on the big light and blind the occupants. Spray them with machine gun fire un9l the Cobras could get a fix on their posi9on. Turn off the light and peel away in the opposite direc9on, allowing the gunships 9me to complete their dive. Mini-‐guns would pour red fire from the sky at four thousand rounds per minute, followed by a swarm of rockets, destroying the supplies and Viet Cong transpor9ng it.

It sounded preEy good during the pre-‐flight briefing. That is, everything except the part about leaving the other gunner at home. Major Rodriguez said it would be too dark for him to see anything on his side. How the hell did they know? This was an experimental mission and no one had actually flown one before.

I had plenty of 9me to re-‐evaluate the theory of the mission during the thirty minute flight to the free-‐fire zone. Normally, rounds fired from the ground at a flying object hit somewhere behind the target. However, if the enemy aimed at the bright light in the sky, I’d be sihng right behind it. Not a comfor9ng thought.

I assumed we were flying north, but wasn’t sure. My eyelids were gehng heavy and I was having a hard 9me staying awake. I’d already flown all day inser9ng South Vietnamese soldiers into and out of baEle zones. I’d barely had enough 9me to refuel the helicopter, grab a bite to eat and get to the briefing before we li]ed off the flight line at 10 p.m. As hard as it was to keep my eyes open, I kept them glued to the canals.

Major Rodriguez’s voice cracked over the radio. “Comanche 6 to Comanche 24.”

“Comanche 24,” the pilot answered.

“We’re approaching the end of the free-‐fire zone. Make a hundred and eighty degree turn to your leB and head back south closer to the Cambodian border.”

“Roger that.”

Our new orders weren’t reassuring news. My helicopter had been hit three 9mes by .51 caliber rounds near the border just a few weeks back. One round had entered the le] front co-‐pilot’s window and took out the overhead fuse panel. The second round smashed just above my head, tearing a large hole in the roof of the helicopter. The third round missed my right shoulder by an inch, smashed into the base of the transmission mount, ricocheted around my body and out through the cargo door that was locked into the open posi9on. All three hits sounded like grenades exploding inside my chopper and the thought of encountering more .51 rounds made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

Another thirty minutes of flying along the border passed without incident. It appeared this was going to be an unproduc9ve night for the Blackhawks. The mission had to end soon because we were gehng low on fuel.

Answered Prayer (Con<nued)

All of a sudden the big light came on and the helicopter banked hard to the right. I gripped the handles of the twin 60s, searching for targets. Just below me was a clearing that looked like a giant ant hole in the middle of the tall grass. Three people stood in the center of the clearing, next to a grass hut. They were huddled together, staring up at us. My finger 9ghtened on the triggers as I aimed my weapons at them, but I held my fire. A man, woman and small child about five years old stood next to the straw shack.

Major Rodriguez came over the radio demanding a status report. “Comanche 24, what do you have?”“Looks like a peasant farmer, his wife and kid down there, sir.” “Are they armed?”“Not that we can see.” We con9nued to circle, slowing all the 9me. The family below turned in a circle facing us as we circled them,

obviously blinded by our light. The man held his wife close to him with one arm and pulled the child’s head 9ght against his body with the other as the boy hugged his legs. A]er two complete turns, the family stopped following our movement and stood s9ll, awai9ng their fate. As the helicopter slowed, the circles became 9ghter and 9ghter as we lowered towards the family.

“What the hell are they doing living in a free-‐fire zone?” grumbled Major Rodriguez, as if talking to himself. “I don’t know, sir,” said the pilot. “What would you have us do?” My heart sank as I recalled the words from the pre-‐flight briefing. “This is a free fire-‐zone, men. Anything that

moves gets killed.” I’m not par9cularly religious. At least, not un9l incoming rounds start pounding holes in my helicopter or the

mortars start exploding around my barracks during the middle of the night. Then my faith in God renews itself and I pray my life be spared. Now, I prayed for the family below me. “God, please help them.”

“Can you see inside the hooch?” the Major asked.“Not from this height, sir.”“Drop down and see if you can see anything. We’ll cover you.”“Roger.”The helicopter slowed to liEle more than a hover about thirty feet above the ground. The wind from the rotor

blades smashed the tall grass flat and the family wobbled in its wake. I felt any moment the hut would be blown away, but somehow it held. At this height and speed, we were just as much a sihng duck as the family below us. I just knew some asshole in black pajamas would jump up from the tall grass any second and open fire on us. I missed the door-‐gunner who would have normally protected our backside. Whose dumbass idea was it to leave him behind?

When we passed the front of the grass hut, the bright light shined inside, cas9ng eerie shadows along the walls. I moved my guns from the family towards the hut, ready to obliterate anything threatening. Dirt floors, a few pots and pans and what appeared to be a small bed sat in the very back.

“See anything, Bray?” asked the pilot.“Appears to be empty, sir. No enemy or weapons visible.”“They appear to be alone, sir,” the pilot reported. He increased our speed slightly and gained a liEle al9tude. “What are our orders, sir?” The next few minutes were the longest moments of my life. Time crept slower than it did when the .51 caliber

rounds had created havoc on my helpless bird a few weeks prior. As I held the 60s on my poten9al vic9ms, I prayed. Please, God, don’t let them make me kill these people. Over and over I prayed, more sincerely than I had ever prayed for my own life. The wait seemed endless.

Tears streamed down the boy and woman’s cheeks. I hoped they were also praying. Keeping pressure on the triggers, I decided if I was ordered to kill them, I would make it as quick as possible to keep them from suffering. I wished I hadn’t volunteer for this mission. I wished I was sound asleep under my mosquito net back at Vinh Long. My heart pounded and my head throbbed.

It seemed like an eternity before Major Rodriguez broke the silence. “All right, men. We’ve marked this posiQon. We’ll bring some troops in tomorrow and find out what they’re doing

out here. Let’s head back to base.”“Comanche 24, roger that,” answered the pilot.

Answered Prayer (Con<nued)

The big light went dark as we rose into the night sky. I watched the family fade from sight, placed the big guns down into the rest posi9on and sat back against the wall. I wiped the sweat from my face and hands and took several deep breaths. I closed my eyes and thanked God that I hadn’t been ordered to kill the family I believed was just trying to survive one more day in that s9nking cesspool. I felt chilled and realized I was shaking uncontrollably.

That was forty-‐six years ago; I was only twenty years old at the 9me. I’ve thought about many of the missions I flew while serving in Vietnam, but the one I recall more than any other is the one that hot muggy night in the middle of a free-‐fire zone when nothing really happened. I sleep well, thanks partly to a decision made a long 9me ago by Major Albert Rodriguez. I recalled that mission while aEending his funeral a couple of years ago.

I’m much older and wiser now. Today, I’d refuse an order to kill seemingly innocent civilians. But at the 9me, I wouldn’t have hesitated. I was a solider then, and good soldiers don’t ques9on orders; they follow them. Thank God for answered prayers!

Editor’s Note: Elvis has requested that if anyone out there remembers this mission and who the other crew members were, he would certainly like to know their names. This includes: the pilot and co-‐pilot of Comanche 24, the co-‐pilot, crew chief and gunner of Comanche 6 (Major Rodriguez was the pilot), and the pilot and co-‐pilot/gunner of each of the 2 Comanche Cobras. If you have any informaFon regarding this, please send it to the Editor of HawkTalk at: [email protected] and I’ll relay it on to Elvis.

2013 Blackhawk Reunion Photos --- Last Chance

Did you enjoy the many photographs in the Fall issue of HawkTalk? They all were taken by Gregg Cipkin and his lovely wife Ta?ana. Gregg has provided a digital copy of his photos, all 1,148 of them. You may not have no?ced Gregg busily snapping pictures at the reunion, but from the photos, he was EVERYWHERE!! Anyway, the point of this is that.....

If you would like a DVD with all the pictures that Gregg took at the 2013 Blackhawk Reunion in Colorado Springs, please send a check in the amount of $4.00 per copy*, made payable to the “BlackHawk Associa<on” to: Ben Bentley, 123 Victorian Rose Lane, Gurley, AL 35748Be sure to include your name, mailing address and the number of copies you would like to have. *The price was determined by the best esFmate I could get for: blank DVDs, a mailing envelope for DVDs, labels for the DVDs, a protecFve sleeve for the DVDs and first class postage.

Editor’s Notes:

1. All the feed-back that I’ve received so far regarding the the new HawkTalk feature, “Then & Now” , indicates that it is quite popular. Therefore, you can expect to continue to see this as long as I continue to get articles & photos from Art Stebelton. It should be noted that as of now, I’ve exhausted my supply.......so when Art contacts you for YOUR input, please cooperate. Even better, do something really against all of our military training....contact Art and VOLUNTEER YOUR information!! Art can be contacted at: [email protected]. As you can see, I was somewhat desperate to fill the pages this issue, so I had to include the one about myself.

2. As always, I would again like to point out that this is YOUR newsletter. I need input (articles, pictures and ideas) regarding things to fill the HawkTalk pages. I have a couple of stories of my own, but I would much rather have your stories and pictures. I’ll save mine for when we might hit a dry spell.

3. I hope I will be excused for putting my “Editor’s Notes” this early in pages of HawkTalk. It’s not that I consider these thoughts to be THAT important, but I’m trying the fill all the pages, avoid blank spaces and minimize splitting articles unless absolutely necessary. So.........with that in mind, this is where it fits.

Thanks,Ben





Elvis is alive and well in Queen Creek, Arizona! Elvis Bray joined the 7th/1st C-‐Troop in May of 1968 as a slick crew chief and a]er 9 months switched to the Scouts. He spent the rest of his 1st year as a OH-‐6 crew chief then extended for a second year with 247th Dustoff Detachment. He loved to fly and more than once turned down a chance at SP/6 to stay on flight status.

Lynn, as his family calls him, returned to Mesa, Arizona a]er leaving the Army to a job driving a fuel truck for a small, local airport. A]er a short while he moved on to a construc9on job for a couple of years before joining the Mesa Police department in 1974. He stayed with them for over 20 years. A]er re9ring from the Mesa Police Dept., he joined the Campus Police as a Captain for another fi]een years before re9ring last January. He and his wife moved to nearby Queen Creek three years ago with their three horses, two cows, two dogs and a cat.

Elvis and his wife Sherrie have two sons. You can tell just by talking with him that he is very proud of both of them. The oldest is a professional ar9st now working at becoming a doctor and the youngest is a West Point graduate now serving as Commander of the Apache Helicopters at Ft. Carson, Co. Elvis and Sherrie have their first Grandchild, a girl, who was born on November 15th. Elvis has taken on a new hobby, he is wri9ng novels. He has completed his first book and is working on his second. He also enjoys hun9ng, horseback riding, and boa9ng but admits those may have to take a backseat to the new granddaughter! He has already made reserva9ons for the reunion in Florida and hopes to get a ride in the Helicopter one more 9me.

Welcome Home!Then & Now Biographer

Art StebeltonB-Trp, ’67-’68

Elvis Bray

THEN & NOW

Ben Bentley

THEN & NOW

Captain Aubrey (Ben) Bentley served first as a sec?on leader and later as the platoon leader in Bravo Troops Weapons Platoon. He served from Sept ’68 to ’69.

AMer Vietnam, Ben remained in the service and in avia?on. He returned to Ft Knox where he joined B-‐Troop 8th /1st Air Cav. While there he completed the Army Armor Career Course and then moved on to finish a degree at Texas Tech before heading north to Ft Greely, Alaska as a Cold Weather Test Project Officer. Ben indicated the Army actually admiCed that they selected this loca?on because of the bad weather. That’s something most of us suspected in Basic Training anyway! AMer Ft Greely, it was off to Ft Rucker where he worked first at Cobra Hall as an Instructor Pilot and then at the Army Avia?on Board as a Test Project Officer, working on helicopter weapon systems which included such things as moun?ng S?nger missiles on Cobras, early tes?ng of Hellfire missile seekers and the mast-‐mounted sigh?ng system for the OH-‐58. Then as a DA civilian electronics engineer, Ben worked at Redstone Arsenal on air defense projects where his avia?on knowledge proved an asset in figuring out how to bring down enemy aircraM. Later as a civilian contractor, he worked on the Ground-‐Based Missile Defense System.

Ben and Ginny have been married 46 years and have two children, Dawn and Brian. Their children have blessed them with three granddaughters and three grandsons. Ben and his bride live in Gurley, Alabama where Ben stays busy in his woodworking shop, BDH Cabinetry. (The BDH stands for Ginny’s reference to the shop as Ben’s Dog House!) Ben is ac?ve in his Church and enjoys using his woodworking hobby to assist the Church. Now re?red, he can also squeeze in the ?me for his other passion……fishing.

Welcome Home!Then & Now Biographer

Art StebeltonB-Trp, ’67-’68

Bob served in Headquarters Troop as a clerk keeping track of everyone’s DEROS status to make sure they got back to the World on 9me. He did a lot more than just that but, let’s face it, what could be more important than that! SP/5 Lautzenheiser was with the 7/1st from 1968-‐1969. He le] the Army at Ft Sheridan, Illinois for about 2 ½ years and decided to do it again. Star9ng as an E-‐2 and going back through basic, then on to the Army Security Agency and Russian language school in California before joining the White House Communica9ons Agency for 4 years. Then Bob set out on a 15-‐16 year journey with Defense AEaché Duty, first in Moscow, then in Greece where he was promoted to CW2 before moving on to Hong Kong. Next came Beirut for 2 years then back to Washington and Spanish language school before going to Ecuador for 3 years. Then it was Suriname in South America. Bob re9red from the Army as a CW3 in 1994 and relaxed for a couple of years before star9ng work as a Conductor on the railroad in Ft Wayne, Indiana. He then became a locomo9ve Engineer and re9red 16 years later.

Bob married Connie, his beEer half for the past 45 years, just 16 days before leaving for Viet Nam. Together they have raised a son and a daughter and now have two grandsons and four granddaughters. They live in Van Wert, Ohio and enjoy the grandkids and aEending their events. They also enjoy traveling a liEle.

Welcome Home! Then & Now BiographerArt StebeltonB-Trp, ’67-’68

CW2 John Moore flew slicks with A-‐Troop 7th/1st in Viet Nam. He arrived in country by ship having trained at Ft Knox, Kentucky with the unit and derosed in 1968. He completed a second tour with the 101st Avia9on and achieved CW3 at Ft Bragg before leaving the Army.

John and his wife, Libbi, were high school sweethearts and eventually married. The couple has six children, five boys and a girl, nine grandchildren, two boys and seven girls and two great grandchildren, two boys plus another on the way. They went to Houma, Louisiana a]er the service and reside there s9ll. John flew Bell Jet Rangers for Petroleum Helicopters from 1976 9ll he re9red in February of 1999. His job was to shuEle off-‐shore oil workers to and from the platorms in the gulf.

John has suffered a stroke and is now somewhat limited with regard to hobbies. Prior to the stroke he was an avid fisherman with lots of opportunity while on a platorm awai9ng his passengers to finish their work. John could usually supply his passengers with fish on their return trip. He and Libbi enjoyed gardening and traveling the world. They s9ll travel as much as they can.

Welcome Home!

Bob Lautzenheiser

THEN & NOW

John Moore

THEN & NOW

Then & Now BiographerArt StebeltonB-Trp, ’67-’68

1Lt Jim JarreE was born and raised in the Tampa Florida area and served his second Viet Nam tour with the 7th/1st in ’69-‐70. He was in his thir9es at the 9me and was known to his fellow troopers as the old man. His tour started with Headquarters but soon he moved to C-‐Troop as “Comanche 34” and cobra pilot. Jim stayed with the Army for a career and will tell you he le] as a Major because his “alligator mouth would overload his hummingbird buE”. Jim spoke his mind and that wasn’t always the best thing for his career.

Jim married his second wife, Barbara, who was in the Air Force. They had two boys and now have two beau9ful granddaughters. Jim worked for a while teaching school a]er leaving the service and then as a security guard while Barbara was in Korea. They have lived at all the usual places but Jim enjoyed Ft Bragg the best and Ft Knox the least. He wasn’t fond of Wright-‐Paterson in Dayton because of the cold and snow. He prefers the warmer climate of Pike Rd, Alabama these days.

A broken hip in September has had him laid up recently but he says he has graduated to a cane from a walker so improvement is being made. Jim enjoyed flying RC airplanes but says he never mastered the RC helicopter, they always crashed! He also enjoys model railroading.

Welcome Home!


Jim Jarrett

THEN & NOW

Major James “Ron” Hill commanded A-‐Troop at Ft Knox before going to Di An by plane with the 30 or so 7/1st Advanced Party. He remained with A-‐Troop and later returned to the States in 1968 to aEend the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia. He then was reassigned to Ft Knox with Combat Developments Command -‐ Armor Agency. He remained in that posi9on for about three years before assuming command of the 7th/1st as a LTC. A]er leaving that command, Ron served on the Department of the Army’s Special Scout Helicopter Task Force for six months before he was deployed to Iran as part of the Technical Field Team. Their task involved advising the Iranian Military on flight training and the use of aEack helicopters. He returned to the States in 1975 to the Avia9on Systems Division as Deputy Chief of Staff for Research, Development and Acquisi9on at the Pentagon. Then off to Yuma, AZ with TECOM as Test Director for the Advanced AEack Helicopters (Apache) before returning to the DC area with DARCOM (Army Material Command) Test and Evalua9on Division. Colonel Hill re9red in 1985.

Ron is married to Phyllis (59 years) and together they have raised six children, three boys and three girls. They are the Grandparents of six girls and five boys. They currently live in Fredericksburg, Virginia and enjoy their sail boat, their Kids and Grandkids and a liEle traveling.

Welcome Home!

Ron Hill

THEN & NOW


! !

BlackHawk KIA List83 Of Our Fellow BlackHawks Were Killed In Action

We Will Never Forget Them

Last Name

First Name

MI

Adlins Henry D

Ahouse William C

Allen Keith D, Jr

Armstrong Joseph L

Babcock Ronald L

Bartels Gary L

Bartlett Donnie S

Beals Michael A

Boucher Robert C

Bowen Duane C

Breece William W

Cannon Bruce A

Carrington Fred E

Chase Freddie

Crouch Albert B

Darby Paul

Derosier Richard T

Du Long Franklin R

Duncan Roy W

Dyer Allen J

Falk Gary D

Fox David N

Golden William J

Grebby Robert W

Greeno Gerald T

Hansen Mark J

Haslam Albert W

Hendrix John R

Last Name First Name

MI

Hering Robert H

Hill Carl L, Jr

Hodges Bennie E

Hodges William J, Sr

Hummel John F

Huttula Carl R

Kramer Arthur T

Lea Robert E

Leuning Vernon L

Lopochonsky John H

Lukens Donald G

Luttrell John W

Lynch Stephen M

Lyon John P

Marlow James E

Martinez John

Merschman John W

Milet Joseph W

Milliner William P

Molino Eddie Jr

Moody Stewart R

Mooney Fred

Nipper Donald E

Nixon Samual R

Nixon William D

Noble Allen E

Ortiz-Negron Jose J

Padier Wilton Jr

Last Name

First Name

MI

Perry Steven J

Plummer Charles D

Puetz Michael D

Purtell Robert B

Ranson John N

Rathburn Richard A

Ratliff Thomas H

Rodriguez-Lebron

Santiago

Rueppel Ronald B

Saba Laster P

Santos-Lopez

Jose L

Saunders Keith F

Schmidt Wilfred F, Jr

Sharp Philip D

Slayton Charles D

Smith Allan L

Solomon Floyd D

Stokkerman Jon W

Thomas Nathaniel

Turnbull Gary A

Weaver Sammy L

Weber Wiltse L

Welch Michael J

Wheeler Conrad J

White Melvin R

Williams Johnny

Wilson Billie J

BlackHawk Association7th Armored Squadron, 1st Air CavalryC/O Ben Bentley, Editor123 Victorian Rose LaneGurley, AL 35748

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