COMPANY
CO
Bill Walker Jan 7 #71412
I believe CPT Becker was CO
when I Derosed on Feb 19, 1971
Bill 17
________________________________________
John McGarr Jan 7 #71413
Opps! My bad. I think you are correct.
Too many years....
Thanks for the correction.
"When all is said and
done, usually more is said than done."
________________________________________
Bill Walker Jan 7 #71414
Anything I can’t remember I
just make up
________________________________________
Richard J Metzger Jan 7 #71415
Bill, I think most of us do! 😊
________________________________________
Barry Beard Jan 7 #71416
The good news we will forget
what you made up so you can make something else up next time. The bad news is
we will incorporate what you made up as fact in the holes of our stories!
________________________________________
Howard Strickler Jan 7 #71417
Cpt. Becker became CO in
mid-February 1971 when Maj. Paul Cole was reassigned. Cpt Becker was still CO when
I left the Lancers March 16, 71.
________________________________________
Gary Bowman Jan 7 #71418
Captain Camia was the A/C on
my very first Lancer flight. The
Battalion CO was the PP.
Gary B
________________________________________
Bill Walker Jan 8 #71420
I think Becker became CO much
earlier than that, Howard.
He was given that position
after Maj. Paul Cole had the breakdown in the summer of ‘70
________________________________________
Sol Herrera Jan 8 #71425
The older I get, the more
confabulated I get.
What I like is that nobody
contests me.
It’s amusing and fun.
If I want to be serious I
sport my colors by wearing my 101st Screaming eagle hat. Even then I am still
confabulating.
Solomon
________________________________________
Holger Renken Jan 8 #71430
Wasn't there a Maj. Greene in
there somewhere or am I thinking of somewhere else?
________________________________________
Tim Pasquarelli Jan 8 #71431
MAJ Greene was CO when I
arrived in May of ‘70. He left shortly after I arrived. As I recall MAJ Cole
followed Greene, then Becker. I don’t remember when Camia arrived. My memory
would be Greene, Cole, Becker, and Camia. Not sure who was before Greene. Who
was CO when B Co deployed from Carson?
Tim P
________________________________________
Bruce Nesmith Jan 8 #71432
Maj Tommy Thornton was the 1st
CO and DEROS’d in Feb 70
Bruce - Lancer 1968-70
________________________________________
Mike Jacobi Jan 8 #71433
My records show I arrived back
at the Lancers on 29 May 1971 from my Medical R & R in the hospital at
Clark AFB in the Philippines.
Cpt Camia was the new really
sharp CO when I arrived back. And I was so looking forward to seeing Jack
Becker again. I believe he was missing some teeth from the last expression I
saw on his face before the medics carried me away.
I’d have liked to see him so
much so that I wouldn’t let them evac me to the States (I Requested) from the
hospital not to, but to keep me in the Philippines after my operation and send
me back to the Lancers.
To be clear, it was Becker
that got drunk (((and was driving))) and flipped the jeep. Someone recently commented
on how the motor pool was forced to work all night to cover it up.
I only know that I caught a
Medivac helicopter ride out of Evans. I was in the back seat of the jeep (with)
Beetle Bailey, something we joked about when he would call me from Thailand
years later.
And “Someone” thought I was
driving but was Becker. Does anyone really think he’d let me drive?
The “final” accident report
said I failed to hook the passenger safety strap and just fell out. The
battalion commander commented on it when I came back, but he actually thought
it was a fight, because of Becker’s front tooth, which was really from the
steering wheel.
So, a reunion with Jack Becker
that alas, never happened. I got over
it. And the $monthly 20% VA disability check for my F***ed up shoulder is my
biggest memory of that night. First round on me when we all meet again.
The last I heard Becker did
something really bad at Fort Knox. My cousin (Rita Haselip) who was married to
an Aviator named Bob Catron was there and told me at the time that Becker was
finished, but out of loyalty to someone she couldn’t tell me what happened. I
called her a few years ago and her memory was shot. She was older than me.
Becker disappeared. He was
listed on the VHPA membership roster as a potential member for a long time,
along with his flight school class etc. Now his name has disappeared even from
there. No obit. No - Nothing.
PS: One of the politest expressions I’ve heard
here was one of you calendar dating an experience in the Lancers as a time just
before Paul Cole “lost his clear way of thinking.”
He was well admired by all,
but I never had the pleasure of meeting him.
Mike Jacobi
913 721-3922
________________________________________
Bill Griffith Jan 8 #71434
Thanks Bruce -- Now that you
mention the name, I recall it. At that time, I didn't give a rat's patootie who
the Commander was, and the only reason someone in my position might have much
to do with the CO was because of an "ah-shit." The only O or WO I had any interaction with
was those sitting in the front seat of my aircraft, on any given day that might
be. That was the case for most of my days, years as a simple bottom feeder
CE. That changed when I was selected to
be NCOIC of a Flight Platoon in '76, 117th AHC in Korea, with Capt.
"Jaw" Pardue as my Platoon leader. One of the BEST RLOs I ever worked
with/under/for. That's when I found out officers were dang near like real
people too...well sort of.
Bill G.
________________________________________
Bruce Nesmith Jan 8 #71435
I remember Tommy T because he
was a dick. And tried his level best to get us all killed on our first all
Lancer CA.
Bruce Lancer 1968-70
________________________________________
John Kain Jan 8 #71436
The next time we get together
Mike J and I need to discuss his jeep accident.
My memory is a little different.
What broke his shoulder was the flipping Anchor we stole from the Red
Skins. Yes, after we got his sorry ass
to the medics, we had to work all night getting a new windshield on the old
man's jeep and some mirrors. And then he
takes off to the Philippines for a long R&R. He did get back to country just a month
before I Derosed
________________________________________
Bill Griffith Jan 8 #71437
I guess between him and 1st
Sgt Estep, we had our share of Richard Heads in the unit at the time. At the
same time, we had SFC Guadalupe and SSgt Snow, and they were our saviors in
many incidents.
________________________________________
Bruce Nesmith Jan 8 #71438
We weren’t exactly overrun
with supervisory talent.
Bruce = Lancer 1968-70
________________________________________
Gary Bowman Jan 8 #71439
When I was at Ft. Hood after VN
I was the head clerk of our company (mechanized infantry) motor pool. Our office was upstairs.
We had a 1st Lt. who was a
regular guy. Used to invite us over to
his place to have beers.
One Monday morning after being
at his place late Sunday night, he came walking across the parking lot with a
couple of enlisted guys. I open our only
window and holler down to him, "Good morning, sir!". He didn't skip a pace, but looked up at me
and said, "Fuck you, Bowman!"
Regular guy. 😁
Gary B
________________________________________
Barry Beard Jan 8 #71442
I probably had an inordinate
respect for Capt. Camia. He, Lt Beyer, and I got there about the same time. The
only thing he did that sort of irritated me was having us fly a tight echelon
right formation after some weird 90 aircraft insertion of ARVNS west of Khe
Sahn.
He was always at the O club
when he should be and stayed only as long as he should.
He made me Ready Reaction
Force platoon leader after only a few days. Within a few days we had a damn drill
one night and I had to roust out my platoon from the EM and NCO clubs, everyone
dutifully loaded on to the deuce and a half, except 1. Here we are in front of
HQ with Camia watching as I tried to get this miscreant on the truck. Every
time I asked him to get on the truck, he said no! Finally, feeling frustrated and embarrassed I
sputtered “I out rank you; I am smarter than you are and if you don’t get on
the truck, I am going to kick your ass!”.
Much to my surprise he got on the truck!
I think Camia and I bonded that night. From then on, I got stuck with
all kinds of jobs. He asked me a couple
of times if I wanted to be a General’s aide. Wisely I said no, I was entirely
too immature. He was, in my mind on a clear path to becoming a General, but
alas it was not to be. Tony Beyer visited him around 2001 and from what I
understand he soured on the Army and went to work in a family business. That is
when Tony got the bell that is still with the MDLs! Of course, I doubt if I was smarter, but I
had to come up with something.
________________________________________
Lance Ruck Jan 9 #71444
So, Barry - I learned from
that missive that you were belligerent and immature (lol)! It's OK - I
threatened to kick McAtee's ass if he ever did a hammerhead again (n country
less than a month) and somehow that was the only time I ever flew with him?
Camia flew his first mission as a Lancer as my right seat and proceeded to tell
me his detailed plans for his ascension to General with timeline? I was to meet
with him in Greenville while at a Railroad (rr) union function and when I
called him he backed out saying he didn't want anything to do with old memories
of the Lancers and Vietnam?
I didn't ever bond with him
but that may have been because he asked me if I smoked Marijuana and I said,
"yes sir"; he wasn't prepared for the truth and after and awkward
moment of silence he just said "dismissed"? In my defense had he
asked if I did heroin I would have said "no sir"!
I have mixed emotions for
peeing in the bottle for McGinnis and 2 enlisted men at deros since McGinnis
died of a heroin overdose some 10 or 11 years after his tour, but I doubt it
would have made a bit of difference! On information and belief, a positive test
only delayed your departure for a few days while they gave a drug education
program! Anybody know for sure what the actual process was?
________________________________________
Barry Beard Jan 9 #71455
Lanny, Ha, You focused on my
stated flaws, and not all the good things I said about myself!
I don’t know about the whole
company, but I know Camia was not keen on pilots smoking pot, but to my
knowledge he never proactively tried to catch anyone doing it. He did move me
into a hooch to “set an example” but given my proclivity to tarry at the bar in
those days, I was in no position to judge others even though I was not a pot
smoker. So, I am quite sure they paid no attention to me!
________________________________________
Gary Bowman Jan 9 #71445
I don’t remember having to pee
in a bottle to leave VN. Had to get my
hair cut twice, tho. The important
stuff, ya know?
Gary B
________________________________________
Eddie Hester Jan 9 #71446
Before Major Grant S. Green, a
captain from A Company was a temporary CO for about a month or so. While we went through the IG inspection. Not a bad sort, but I lost about three weeks
of flying getting the supply room ready for that dam IG. Excuse the language. They were waiting for Maj Green to
arrive. Prior to him was Maj John Watt
who was the commander when I arrived in July of 1970. His first extra duty for me, on my second
day, was as Fire Marshall. Fortunately,
the company was already set up well in that department by the founding Lancers.
Eddie Hester
Lancer 30 - July-July 69-70
________________________________________
Mack McCharen 9:57am #71714
Tommy Thornton was our first
CO. He was replaced by John Watts in the late summer of ‘69. Maj Watts came
from 158th HQ. I don’t remember either CO being in the club too often, probably
a good idea! I communicated (by mail) several times with John after we derosed.
He was involved with a testing program pitting helicopters against fast
movers.
Mack McCharen - 19
________________________________________
Bruce Nesmith 1:33pm #71720
If I remember right, both Maj.
Thornton and 1st Sgt. Estep disappeared right after the door gunner booby
trapped Estep’s hooch.
________________________________________
Mike Jacobi Jan 28 #71722
I got this from Jim Phillips
today. He lives 60 miles north of me. I’ll call him later I’m replacing a dead
car battery and running around today.
GB if you don’t have his info
he’s a good candidate for a paper newsletter.
Tommy Thornton # 816 449-2024
Mike Jacobi
________________________________________
Barry beard Jan 28 #71723
Wow Mack, I didn’t think
Warrants had clue who the CO was much less kept up with them! You have to be
the exception.
________________________________________
Gary Bowman Jan 28 #71724
When you call him, find out if
he wants one and if so I need a mailing address.
Gary B
________________________________________
Randall Gilliam Jan 28 #71726
That was David Mussey’s
gunner. I took his place when I came into the company out of the 506th.
________________________________________
Bill Griffith Jan 28 #71728
There had been a couple of
incidences aimed at Estep - the frag that was tossed into his hootch and
sabotage his personal water blivit. And
honestly, I had nothing to do with any of them. Although I may have cheered the
perps on a little...or a lot.
________________________________________
Jim Phillippe Jan 28 #71729
Speaking of Tommy
Thornton I talked to him this
afternoon He lives in Maysville
mo. about 65mi north of KC, MO He is doing well his wife has some medical
problems, but they are living life one day at a time
________________________________________
Al Herold Jan 29 #71735
Speaking of Maj Thornton, I
wish him well. How did he do in the rest of his army career? Tommy was a nice
guy and probably did all right at Fort Carson, but he was totally inept at Camp
Evans and really a danger to the Lancers.
I flew 200 hours with the
Comancheros A Co 101Avn Bn before being transferred to the Lancers in March
1969 along with Ben Peeples. We were very thankful for this peter pilot time
with experienced professionals and a good CO – Maj Wall. He would have
briefings before and after missions. After a mission in which a rotor hit a
tree limb Maj Wall let us know that wasn’t acceptable or necessary and could
endanger the mission. The morning of my first mission I asked Maj Thornton “where
was the test fire pit”. My crew said the M60’s had not been fired in VN. Tommy
said Bn wouldn’t let him have one. I laughed in disbelief. I told him we only
needed a hole in the ground. But that wasn’t allowed, and new crews were test
firing in the air. Tommy never gave me AC orders, but I always flew in command.
Twice he asked me to fly him to Camp Eagle at night for Command meetings. CA’s
and flights were generally disorganized, and pilots became very independent for
self-preservation.
Tommy was not a leader.
When myself and others -
warrants and enlisted were infused to Co B we had been in country 4 or 5 months
and looking forward to R & R in Hawaii.
I asked Tommy about the scheduling of R & R. So we had a meeting in
his hootch one evening and he explained while drinking a big orange, that he
was only allocated 4 spaces each month to Hawaii and 48 spaces were not enough
for everyone to go in the next 12 months. Therefore he decided to draw 4 names
each month from those eligible. I explained that eligibility was determined by
DEROS and his method was not fair to those infused with time in country. The
next month he randomly drew 4 names and said Herold you did not make it. One
Lancer officer with only 2 or 3 months in country went to Hawaii. I advised 158
Bn of this procedure and the XO said that wasn’t right and would be corrected.
But it wasn’t corrected before 4 more names were randomly drawn the next month.
I had another meeting with Tommy with no success. I called the XO at 158 Bn and
he said nothing had been done and he didn’t see a change coming. I told him my
only solution was to report this to the IG. He understood and encouraged me. I
met with the IG and within 2 weeks Major Thornton was relieved of command and
transferred to a staff job at 160 Group. Major Watts became our CO. Before
Tommy left he assigned me to organize the R & R allocations. I thanked him.
I went to Hawaii to see my wife in July – my 8th month. I have always regretted
that Ben and I couldn’t do more to benefit the Lancers with our experience. I
do not know why we didn’t have more pilot briefings and learning opportunities
as a group. The Lancers learned quickly and were lucky. But I think without
learning from previous experience many fine points are lost and never entirely
self-taught.
The Lancers said Fort Carson
was a good experience, so I went there upon DEROS and was CO of the 164th
Maintenance Det for 8 months. The
Comancheros taught me to fly, and I am proud to be a Lancer.
Al Herold, Lancer 22 68’-69’
________________________________________
Bruce Nesmith Jan 29 #71736
Al,
That’s the Maj. Tommy Thornton
that I remember. Were you there for the first full company CA that he insisted
on flying lead on?
Bruce Lancer 1968-70
________________________________________
Reggie Kenner Jan 29 #71737
I don’t think it was a door
gunner who put the frag grenade with the taped lever in the gerry can by
Estep’s hootch. The guy’s name was Billy something. I think he was in
maintenance
________________________________________
Tim Pasquarelli Jan 29 #71738
Hey Reggie,
You sure know a lot of
details.
________________________________________
Bruce Nesmith Jan 29 #71739
I know it was a door gunner
who turned the fragger in. He was my new door gunner and was fitting in as a great
guy. He heard the fragger bragging about what he had done in the EM club and
reported it. He broke cover to do it as he was actually a 1st LT CID agent
working undercover investigating Top Estep’s black-market activities. That’s part of the reason that Estep
disappeared so fast.
Bruce Lancer 1968-70
________________________________________
Barry Beard Jan 29 #71742
I was in the hooch that
someone thought it would be fun to throw in a CS grenade. We got out and did a
head count and we were missing double deuce Mr. Kaufman. The grenade landed in
his area. We went in and got him out, just in time. At one of the Reunions, he
said he has had permanent lung damage from that idiocy. I have recounted the
story of the guy that threatened to frag me, because I left him on the bunker
line after guard duty, we couldn’t wake him up from a drug induce stupor and i
was not going to ask the guys to pick him up.
He was gone within 2 hours after his threat!
________________________________________
Gary Bowman Jan 29 #71743
Someone tried to frag the 1st
Sgt. one night while we were all sleeping. His hootch was right next to ours
and it was close enough to feel the concussion and hear FOD hitting the
hootch. To my knowledge no one was caught. And no one was hurt.
________________________________________
Reggie Kenner Jan 29 #71744
There’s a reason
I remember the frag in the
jerry can but not a private water blivit. After the jerry can incident people tossed
rocks onto the corrugated metal roof of Estep’s hootch. He came out waving his
.38 once yelling that he’d shoot the next person who came outside. He was gone
soon after
________________________________________
Bruce Nesmith Jan 29 #71746
That was cruel Reggie. But
funny.
________________________________________
Dana Lane11:39am #71747
Your right! They were always reminding me to get a
haircut though!
Lancer 55
Dana Lane
________________________________________
Reggie Kenner Jan 30 #71759
Let's just say that when the
plot had been unveiled and someone came running into my hootch to announce that
someone had tried to kill top they were surprised to find me in my cot. I knew much of that plan and the planners.
Basically it was the pot smokers
pissed about their pastime being interrupted.
I mentioned before that I was
in the orderly room after Estep had been replaced. Some SSgt brought a bag of
weed in that he'd found under a sandbag. The new first sergeant told him to
just take it back and put it where he'd found it.
________________________________________
Bill Griffith Jan 30 #71760
Reggie, et al ... I'm pretty
sure I've told this some time back. Weed
was no secret. But the classic was SFC Guadalupe walking into the hootch one
afternoon with two #10 cans in his hands, each with a plant about 14 inches
high. "Sgt Griffing! I told those
guys to stop growing this shit behind their hooches! So what do they do!?!? The
moved it next to mine!" Throwing some seeds in a can and letting it grow
was just our way of harassing.
________________________________________
Reggie Kenner Jan 30 #71761
LOL! I don't remember that one
but it's a hoot, Bill.
________________________________________
Al Herold Jan 31 #71779
Bruce, I don’t recall the
first Lancer CA, but possibly a couple weeks earlier the Comancheros led a 25
ship CA to reopen Viegel. A Comanchero AC was the lead of each flight of 5 and
also the 25th AC. The 19 other aircraft were from the 158th for training. I was
in the 25th trail AC. Our CO said it might be hot and it was. The first two
flights took fire and two crew were hit. Landings slowed down and there were
air bursts around us, but we dropped all the troops. There were two casualties
in a 158th AC and they did not know where the MASH unit was. They had lost
radios and followed lead to the hospital. A couple weeks later I was infused
into the Lancers. I had to quickly get comfortable as an AC in the left seat. I
had expected to get 100 hrs. more with Comancheros before being an AC. The
Comancheros tried to give all the new 158th pilots at least 10 hours training.
I did not fly much during that couple weeks. The Comanchero AC received Silver
Stars and I received the Bronze Star for the Viegel mission.
I do recall some CA’s that Maj
Thornton was C&C which did not go well. I think Tommy left the Lancers in
June.
Al Herold, Engr Cpt, Lancer 22
and 11, Dec 68 to Dec69
________________________________________
Bruce Nesmith Jan 31 #71780
Al, as you know, we crew
chiefs and gunners rarely knew where we were going or what kind of conditions
to expect. All I know for certain is that it was one of the later CAs on the
march to the Ashau and that Thornton put the Lancer aircraft at 100 yard
spacing. He kept wanting people to tighten up so we would look good and led us
into a hot single ship LZ.
________________________________________