Posted on 09/05/2006 6:13:04 PM PDT by indcons
Wild Bill Wilder takes a look at the role of Air Cavalry in the Vietnam War.
Upon arriving in Vietnam in the fall of 1965, the proud young sky troopers of the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) took a lot of ribbing from the grunts. They ridiculed their “cruising” around in the sky, enjoying a soft army life. In angry defense, a young private, embarrassed, yet intensely proud of his unit and his accomplishments, retorted, “Go to hell! We’re still cavalry!”
And they were. It is true that their arrival on the battlefields of Southeast Asia was not heralded by a trumpet sounding “charge,” or the thundering hooves of frothing stallions, but rather the whirring of jet turbine engines and the steady “thump-thump,” unique sound of swirling Huey helicopter rotor blades. They carried no sabers, but instead, automatic weapons. Their cannons were not pulled by draft horses, but also mounted on helicopters; lethal, fast moving gunships, darting in and out of enemy positions, leaving a trail of death.
Keeping the Tradition At first glance, they looked just like any other foot soldier, but they were far different. They brought with them the tradition of American cavalry. This element of the United States Army had been the glory of its armed forces. They walked and fought with a unique flair. They were part of a noble and proud tradition.
It was during the Civil War that the American cavalry came into its own. The dash and wiliness of imaginative cavalry leaders revealed the potential of this vital military arm. Names like Stuart, Custer, Sheridan and Forrest became as familiar as Grant and Lee.
(Excerpt) Read more at armchairgeneral.com ...
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GO CROSSED SABERS!!!
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