Via Email:

"Here's some errata .......
Kind of about nothing in particular except the military,  Ft. Riley, deployment,feelings about the times. Just a bunch of stuff.....much of it is memory of the time tempered with published and non-published information now available.

The 9th INF was activated at Ft Riley in late 65 or very early 66 I believe.  This was in response to LBJ's decision to escalate the ground war in Nam.  There was developed a plan to take an entire Division size unit, train it from day one and deploy it as one unit.  Apparently a unique concept.

The second brigade ( I Think that is right)  comprised of the 3/47th, 3/60th, and some others (I am unclear as to the order of battle) were to establish and maintain Dong Tam and be part of the Mobile Riverine Force, the joint Navy/ Army operation.  The remainder was to man Bear Cat and be the 9th Division Headquarters base camp.   The 3/5 CAV, the entire Sqadron, was part of the 9th (It may have been always in history).

I was inducted May 8, 1966.  I arrived at Riley  7 days later, our "Group" from the reception station became, for the most part, first platoon, A CO, 3/47th INF.  (Funny thing,  my name was the first on the
roster list of the group.....wonder where I might have ended up if I was the last name of the previous group) .The largest portion of the group was from the NY metropolitan area .....we were joined by other reception station groups and after they had us all they mixed us up again and the individual platoons had guys from all over.

Our cadre were mostly from Germany, infantry and mechanized infantry NCO's.  Lifers.  We did have a First SGT who had been in Korea.  But, other than that nobody had combat experience.  Our CO was a 22 YO ROTC 1LT.  He made Capt in Sept '66.

Understand that Riley was a "Garrison" post not a training facility as was Dix, Hood, Ord, or Gordon.  We were put through Basic, AIT, BUT, AUT (BASIC/ADVANCED UNIT Training) all at Riley.  We sent off a few to medic school, a few to radio school, .......but other than that we were all trained as a unit, day 1 forward.  We were deployed fully as a unit even loading our own equipment, mess to vehicles and admin.  What we had at Riley we picked up in Nam.  It would not surprise me that the ships we flew in 67 were the same ships that were flown at Riley.  I don't know ....but something interesting about the listing we have .... note that the ships listed were puchased before deployment and in time to be at Riley.

The starting date of 2/68 would coincide with Maj Lyons DEROS date.  Would there not be an inventory taken with the change of command?  Hell, as accurate and complete (I'm kidding) as all the records seem to be, that may be the only one taken or that they could find!!!!  Would not surprise me in the least.

There was an element missing  in this mode of "Train and Deploy" ..... there was not the benefit of 'Newbys" joining an established unit with "Old guys" in place that could share the heraldry, unit history, traditions and such that was afforded in a traditional replacement role.

We were consumed from day one with a fixed departure date and had to meet it hell,  high water, or the clap.  We did not have the luxury of allowing the history to become a part of us .....we were making it .... on the fly ....

You and I being the same age (born 46)....we remember Kennedy, Goldwater, Beach Boys, and  60 to 64,  my high school years.  There was little or no no use of pot even in my high school in the bowels of Brookly, NY  ..or any "Drug"... it was out there but was so minimal as not to be a real factor.  ( It was not till Sept 67 in Bangkok that I had my first toke.....we did not have it in 3/47 or in D Troop that I ever saw, heard of, or suspected....nada, zero... now beer and booze ABSOLUTELY.)

Our officers were honorable, slightly older, some College Grads, others OCS, and for the most part the type of leaders that novels are written about.  Our NCO's were hardcore, by the book, bust new starch everyday, types.

The men were the cream ......unspoiled by the events of the next several years.  Our unit was over 50 %  Selective Service.  But after the "Break them down then build them up process", you could not tell Regular Army from Selective Service guys unless you asked them.

They worked hard and played harder.  The did not use excuses.  They built and maintained a team from day 1.

Now the reason I took you down the INF road was not for the trip but to show the atmosphere at Riley.  It was not just the Leg Units that did this .... it is my belief that all units in the 9th INF including D
Troop did it.  It was a total commitment to deploying the DIV as a unit.... with a defined mission.  Too bad there was still so much Korea Mentality up the chain.

Bear Cat was built from barren jungle up.  The plans for the way Bear Cat was laid out were drawn at Riley. (So we were told  ..they said there was even a model of it ...???)  The same for Dong Tam.   If you can find an aerial picture of Bear Cat, say, Jan '68 or so, I can put names to the buildings.  I have seen one somewhere and trust me it was NOT accurate as it related to D Troop.

The Roundtable was north and parallel to the Bear Cat 9th AVN field.  As I remember it I think it ran East - West.  If I am right ( about E-W orientation) D Troop Scavenger facility was located  on the North Side at the West end on the, what we now call, "Tarmac".  OPS was across the little dirt street directly west, the next building to the west was the EM/NCO Club. Behind the club was an EM latrine (Quite convenient) and beyond that out on the tarmac was the Spook refueling area and bunkered tie down extending east on the north side of the field.

The UH1's lined the south end of the field in a row of tie down bunkers with the two directly south of OPS the "Ready or Standby" bunkers for the reaction team.  This is where Mosher took off from.

The D Troop housing area extended north from OPS. The orderly room  was on the east side of  the road, the mess hall on the west.  Troop quarters were behind the  orderly room, I believe 3 rows, extending to the north.  3/5 CAV Squadron HQ I think was on the road that intersected the troop area road about 250 yds west on the north side of the road.

If I remember correctly we would enter a right traffic pattern for the Roundtable turning base on the east end.  ATC was Bear Cat Tower and we would call base, short, or long final.  JP4 fuel area was in the SE corner.

In about June or July '67 we started rotating pilots to other units. The purpose was to break up the DEROS dates so that everyone wasn't leaving at the same time and all that was left was newby replacements.

Jenks, LT type, 23 jockey was the only one that I am aware we lost after he left the unit.  Had his tail boom shot off and went in ... up near the DMZ I think.  This leads me to another thing .....

As the newly rotated pilots joined, some short, some new, others in various parts of their tours, there was an introduction of more military comraderie traditions.  One in point is the Scarf.  I did not see that symbol widely used  .... even though we were CAV and the tradition was troopers had scarfs.  I did not have one and even with the tremendous pride I had in serving in D Troop... did not know I should have one.  As the unit matured it is obvious that more and more items of this type became the norm.  I love the story about the scarf and the entertainers.  That's the CAV.....well at least the D Troop 3/5 CAV I knew would have pulled it.  Where did the CUP come from....REALLY.

Another thing I pondered as I answered your last, I got the feeling that I may have been confusing  in my use of terms......in particular callsigns and such........ if so here's the best insight that I can provide.  Remember that the 9th was an INFANTRY DIV.... not any of the other newer names like "Airmobile" "Air Cav" and such were used.  It was as if the "Old Reliables" (The 9th's nickname) had only one concept ..... INFANTRY.  I sensed that ABRAMS, CG 9th INF was just marking time....

Infantry callsigins followed this convention:

COMPANY (Troop) Level
Radio Callsign  =  Tiger
CO=6    as in Tiger 6
XO=5     as in Tiger 5
1st Platoon leader 16
2nd Platoon leader 26
and so on.
Platoon senior NCO (Platoon SGT)=Platoon # 5  as in Tiger 15  (1st
Platoon Platoon SGT)
Squad Leader = Platoon number/Squad # as in Tiger 13 (First Platoon 3rd
Squad leader (ME)
and so on.

Then there was a whole bunch at the Battalion (Squadron) level preceded
by a "S" when you were referring to the POSITION not the radio callsign
The Battalion/Squadron level
OPERATIONS POSITION  was the "S3".  If he was on the radio and the
Battalion/ Squadron
radio callsign was ABC, then he would use the callsign "ABC3"

There they added

1 for Personnel
2 for Intelligence
3 for OPNS
4 LOGISTICS/SUPPLY/MAINT

Not to be outdone At the Division level there was the same but with a
"G".

Now we were different in D Troop.  we had a hybrid of Troop and Squadron
level people by
our nature.  We could not have the conventions of the INF shoved down
and still make sense .... and I guess there were some other reasons.

D Troop callsign was LIGHTHORSE from day 1
CO D Troop was LIGHTHORSE 6
Maintenance (CO) = SCAVENGER 6
Longknife leader (CO) = LONGKNIFE 6
and so on.  The individual pilots had there own unique radio callsigns
after "6"  as Crusader 12 was Rick Roll..........Doughboy 6 was Rick
Stetson ( who as I remember was also the LRRP team CO.....they belonged
to us also to fulfill the 9th Division recon mission we had.)

If I use something that you are not familiar with or seems confusing let me know.  I will try to be careful and precise.

I remember working with the rest of the Squadron on a few ocasions.
They were almost never at Bear Cat ... they were out running the roads in their tracks and tanks.  When HOME they would pull the Bear Cat securtity routine.  Kent Converse can maybe share about the officer who became road kill by one of the tanks.  Kent lost his mom recently, and is planning a trip to NAM this fall ( Info from his guestbook entry) I have never maintained contact with him only reconected recently, same with Roll and Stetson.  He would be one hell of a resource, going back to NAM, if he is inclined. I think he would be.

Now a word about '"The Guys".  I use this term generically to put all ranks in one basket. Make no mistake the pilots were, a different breed than the enlisted ......they were officers and they were gentlemen. BUT, first and foremost, they were pilots ....... proud, unconventional, warriors who have always displayed the arrogance, courage, and affluence, that is necessary to be what they were.  THIS IS NOT A CUT IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM.  IF THEY WERE ANYTHING LESS WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN D TROOP JUST SOME PISS-ANT FOOTNOTE SOMEWHERE.

I have said it before......our guys .... anywhere, anytime, what ever it took...... uniquely unique.  There was no individual whom I knew of any rank, who hesitated to take the risks necessary.  The proof is in the pudding ...... Direct enemy loss KIA 1967 ..... the WO I am trying to ID (ed-Dennis Brown).  And my recollection of the incident is that he was using his rotor wash to search the paddy just over the grass.  Contrary to the notation in the record he was the AC not the copilot .....The mid air took 9.

Hope this was helpful and some fun.  As for next year ..... space may be shorter at the hooch ....I hope to have my, significantly larger than 30 years ago, butt there.  (Would love to autorotate a UH1 into the yard !!!!)
 

Count me in.
John Casas