George Stenehjem
7656 Woodview Court
Edina, MN 55439
Tom Fleming
5519 Callander Drive
Springfield, VA 22151-1503
July 7, 2009
Centaurs Veterans - March 1967 - March 1968
D Troop (Air), 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry, 25th
Infantry Division
Fellow Centaurs,
We am sending
this to inform you of a project to assemble a follow up volume of “Centaurs in
Vietnam” covering the second year of the Troop’s service in South Vietnam
(March 1967 through March 1968) and to solicit your active support in this
effort. Prior to the last 3rd
Squadron, 4th Cavalry Association meeting held at Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky in
June 2008, the troopers who served in D Troop during its first year (1966 –
1967) assembled a volume of stories about the unit and individual experiences
under the editorial leadership of Carl Burns.
The book, Centaurs in Vietnam:
Untold Stories of the First Year, was published in soft cover and contained
photos of many of the activities and personalities from that first year. It was sold at the reunion and the proceeds
went to the 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry Association Scholarship Fund
and other worthwhile charities. Since its publication it has been offered on
www.amazon.com and received excellent reviews.
George Stenehjem (D Troop Commander, March 1967 -
June 1967), Tom Fleming (D Troop Commander, September 1967 - January 1968),
Bill Altenhofen (Aero Rifle Platoon Sergeant 1967-68) and Dale Dow (Aero Rifle
Platoon Leader – 1968) serving as Unit Historian, are collecting stories and
photographs to be editorially assembled by Bain Cowell AKA “Short Round,” the
Forward Observer who served with the troop from November 1966 through October
1967. The stories and photographs will
be initially assembled in CD/DVD format with consideration for being published
as a book at some later date. We have
set a goal of having a product to present at the 3rd Squadron, 4th
Cavalry Association Reunion in Tucson, AZ, 28 April - 2 May 2010, and also to
make available for those who cannot attend.
We are asking Centaurs veterans to submit short
tales from your experience while serving in D Troop. We would like to receive
your recollections of service with the Troop in the form of stories/war stories
that, like those in the first volume, are positive or humorous and do not
castigate or malign individuals or units. Your personal perspective on
the war and its conduct, the guys you served with, your leaders and units such as D Troop, the LRRPs, the Cav
Squadron and 25th ID are welcomed.
The following suggested topics are presented for
your use in getting the memories and creative juices flowing. Since an event
may have left differing memories for each person involved we are particularly
interested in what you recall, from your perspective, even if that turns out to
be somewhat different than the recollection of the guy standing or laying in
the mud next to you. Feel free to adapt them or add topics from your own
reminiscences.
·
Eagle
Flights - Follies & Adventures – Many perspectives, pilots and crew
members, riflemen and others out for the day;
·
Maintenance
on the Pad and in the Corral – Service Platoon and crewmembers (heat, wind,
rainstorms, exploding burn barrels);
·
LRRP missions – Flight Crews (insertion,
extraction, individual missions of note);
·
Actions by individuals and elements -
Aero Scouts, Aero Rifles, Heavy Scouts, Aero Weapons, Service Platoon,
Headquarters & Operations and LRRP Teams;
·
Dawn
Patrol actions;
·
Last
Light Patrol actions;
·
Night
Thrust Landings by the Aero Rifles (Crew Members and Aero Rifles);
·
Night
Ambush Patrols – Aero Rifles;
·
In
Memoriam stories for those who gave the supreme sacrifice;
·
Unit
Movement across the Runway - Everyone involved;
·
Digging
new well -- Aero Rifles;
·
Actions
of valor during Tet-1968;
·
Rocket
Attacks and the threat thereof post-Tet ‘68;
·
The
unsung Hero – Keeping the unit running - Maintenance, Supply, Motor Pool,
Generators, Laundry, Movies, EM Club, Mess Hall, installing water & shower
facilities;
·
The
daily routine - Alert Sirens, briefings, scrambles, mess call, writing home,
mail call, laundry;
·
Fire
Support -- Artillery Observers and Forward Air Controllers.
The list could go on & on, and should, but even
if we get input in just the areas noted above we will have a unique story to
pass to future generations and the remainder of the 3rd Squadron,
4th Cavalry. We are committed to the project and would gladly assist
anyone who would submit a short written account (via e-mail or USPS
mail). Don’t worry about your writing ability, spelling, syntax or
style. That can all be massaged and
sent back to you for your approval. If
you can't put it in writing, call Bain (the editor) and tell him the story over
the phone; he'll write it up and send you a draft for your approval. Send any photos with captions identifying
who, what, when, where. Tell the story
from your perspective. Encourage others
who served with you and have untold stories to submit them. Time is short to complete a first rate
project. When we get it together in text format that we will quickly copy
it in CD or DVD format.
Here's
the information for sending your input to the editor or contacting Short Round:
Bain
Cowell
4501
Carnoustie Lane
Columbus,
GA 31909
E-mail: baincowell@hotmail.com
Tel: 706-565-9878
(Faithful and Ready)