CENTAURS  1967-1968 HISTORY PROJECT

  In answer to your question "Why is the photo of the HOG gunship bigger than the others"? Because HOGS are bigger, nastier and better looking than any other pre-Cobra helicopter.  Thanks to Norm Clark, HOGS door-gunner, for providing the photo of Doug Olsen's pretty UH-1C HOG above.

Centaurs History Project - Second Year in Vietnam     March 1967-1968

     If you or a family member served with the Centaurs in Vietnam during 1967 - 1968 you are requested to participate in the Centaurs History Project - Second Year version. The Centaurs that came to Vietnam from Hawaii and flew out of Cu Chi during that first year, which ended about March 1968, have compiled a history of that first year in the book Centaurs in Vietnam by Carl Burns. That book is a very enjoyable read for those of us who did not serve with the D Troop during that first memorable year and helps us to appreciate why certain things were done the way they were when we got there. The Centaurs History Project is planned to be structured somewhat like the book by Carl and the other Centaurs who participated in the production of the book Centaurs in Vietnam - Untold stories of the first year, the story of the Centaurs travel from Hawaii to Vietnam, the beginning of the Air Cavalry Troop operations in the area between Saigon and Tay Ninh and the construction of the Troop housing and Maintenance areas.  Click HERE to view information on Carl Burns' book 'Centaurs in Vietnam - Untold stories of the first year'.

     Go the I REMEMBER section main page to get started as a participant-story teller or to see some of the stories, both funny and serious, from the Centaurs second year in Vietnam.

     Special thanks to Tom Fleming for suggesting (as if any Cavalry Troop Commander ever truly 'suggested' anything when talking to one of his Troopers) that certain old Centaurs should volunteer to manage and coordinate the history project. Large thanks to Bain ('Short Round') Cowell (Vindicator 32, our attached Forward Observer during part of the Centaurs second year in Vietnam) and Aero Weapons Section (HOGS) pilot Rick Arthur (who taught me how to hover an overloaded Charlie Model HOG even when the flight manuals and Bell Helicopter said they wouldn't hover) who, following Tom's 'suggestion' then 'volunteered' to take on the Centaurs second year history project. Very large digital thanks to Bruce ('Crazy Bruce') Powell for recording some of the stories on digital video and working toward having the stories available on DVD. We may be able to show some short clips of the video sessions on the website at a later date. You can send an email to Short Round HERE. Send your email to Rick HERE.

The genesis of this project might be best explained by reading the letter from George Stenehjem and Tom Fleming, former Commanders of D Troop during part of the period to be covered by this project. Their letter is reproduced HERE.

I volunteered to put a war story on paper, in the format in which it was recently brought back to life, and encourage you to read that story HERE and a couple of other stories that you can reach via the I REMEMBER section main page. After reading those stories you will probably realize that your stories are a long way from the "dumbest thing I ever heard of in my entire life" and you will want to share them with the other Centaurs who served in the Troop both before and after the Centaurs second year in Vietnam.

Click on any of the I REMEMBER links to go to the I REMEMBER stories section. Send your stories and any related photos or documents to me via email HERE to have your stories included in the I REMEMBER section of our website. Short Round and Rick will also look at the stories posted in the I REMEMBER section for possible inclusion in the Centaurs History Project.

PS: If you don't have any I REMEMBER stories then send us some of your I USED TO REMEMBER stories.

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