With regard to the sharing of information relative to my recollections of my time with the Troop, I must preface this effort with the fact that over the ensuing 29 years much has become rather foggy and jumbled. While on the other hand certain events still are so clear that it seems only yesterday that they occurred. I'm sure in the latter however, time has somewhat distorted and embellished them. Particularly frustrating and actually rather embarrassing is my inability to recall names of my crew chiefs, although in a few memories, I can clearly remember some of their faces. I suppose this is largely attributable to the simple fact that after I was med-evaced home I did not see or speak to anyone from our troop for matter of some 25 years. In this regard therefore, I can not swear to the total accuracy of the detail of the following memories, but you asked for it so here goes.

  I first joined the troop in Feb of 1969 after serving an initial 6 month stint of my tour as a Charlie Model Huey Gun Pilot with the Stingrays of "B" Company 9th Aviation which was billeted directly across the road at Dong Tam from D/3/5. I flew with both Tom Landry and Robert Schultz while with the Stingrays and sometime after my being wounded in May 69 and returning to the World, they also transferred to D/3/5. The CO during my time with D/3/5 was Major Swindell.