2000 REUNION

reunion home page

The second reunion of the Circus was held in Daytona Beach, Florida, in April , 2000. Ken and Sally Gardiner did the ground work for this event, and everything was in place as people began rolling up to the hotel. Though the numbers were slightly down from the last reunion, those attending felt that the event was definitely a success. The comradery of years gone by was in the air as members both renewed old acquaintances and also put names to faces they had heard of after all this time.

by Frank Vanatta

MY FIRST REUNION

I would like to pass on at least my initial thoughts and feelings of an incredible and warming experience.

I turned on my computer and downloaded a detailed map with driving instructions from my home here in Key West to the La Playa Best Western Hotel in Daytona Beach. I was going to a mini reunion with members from my old unit in Vietnam. The unit was called the Flying Circus, for it was a helicopter scout platoon which was a part of the 1st Air Cavalry Division. This was to be the first time we had ever met.

I made it to Daytona Beach in a little over 7 hours. I had beat the projected time and felt proud of myself.

It was over 31 years since I had seen any of my old comrades. After checking in and gathering my thoughts I sought out this group from so long ago. I couldn't shake the anxiety I was experiencing. Would I remember them, would I even like them and most of all would I be able to communicate with them? After all, three decades is a very long time and memories can easily be eroded or at least diluted.

I met them one by one. Bodies had changed, faces had changed and most were wearing glasses and some even in need of hair!

Just like my travel time was estimated, I somehow tried to judge the time it would take for me to feel comfortable and relaxed in their company. God, was I surprised. It took less than a moment to erase those thirty years. They were just who they were back then. Those decades were non-existent. The bonding that took place way back then still existed. It was as if time had skipped over those many years.

I left that reunion three days later. Initially I had planned to beat the time it had taken me on my trip up. I didn't beat that time returning. It actually took much longer, very much longer. I had made many long stops along the way, actually stopping at every road side rest stop. I'd take a walk and smoke a cigarette or two. I was trying to capture in my mind just what had taken place the past three days. Sometimes I laughed out loud and sometimes I felt a tear fall. Here are my thoughts and reflections of my feelings and observations.

The group consisted of 6 pilots, one door gunner, one part-time door gunner, one pathfinder (long range patrol type) and one flight operations specialist. The call signs for themselves that they selected to use so long ago still seemed to reflect who they were now.

"Hoss" was a stock broker who seemed to ride herd on his customers. Culling out the weak ones and keeping and training the strong ones. He still had that take charge persona. He did remind me of a cowboy that made sure his horses were taken care of first and uppermost. Ironically he seemed younger than his age now and older than his age then.

"Phantom" had taken on a look reflecting on his name. His hair had turned white and he had the same movements of appearing and disappearing at will. He had moved to Australia almost thirty years ago and hence actually became a real "phantom."

"Snake" was a pilot for UPS flying 757's and 767's - a long way from his initial flying of small light observation helicopters as a scout in the jungles of Vietnam. He still maintained his snake like characteristics. Silent most of the time, conscious of everything going on around him and still able to fit into almost any environment. In his early days he had the unique ability to change from a harmless garden snake into a lethal cobra in an instant.

"Mole" continued throughout his career living up to his callsign. He had worked in top secret operations during the later half of his Vietnam tour. Later he worked on very sophisticated and secret weaponry with Boeing aircraft and was still illusive about his current job. He simply answered that he was still flying but generally was found hanging around the coffee shop and that was about it. He mentioned that he had traveled most of the world and was content with his current position even though we really don't know what that is. Maybe he just likes drinking a lot of coffee.

"Chartreuse Ox" was still a mystery. The ever constant question was why had he picked that name. He never had a valid answer. Only stated he wanted something different. He was as hard to understand as his callsign. A very complex personality that at times ran the entire gauntlet from euphoria to depression. He was working as a computer programmer which allowed him a lot of solitude. It seemed as though he had a yearning that still needed to be addressed.

"Little Luke" was a part time corporate type and a full time biker. His reputation as a scout pilot befitted his current passion for Harley's. I thought that he took the name "Little Luke" the same way big men like to be called "tiny." He was not a "little Luke" when it came to flying scouts and had earned a great reputation. He was almost humble when it came to describing his tour as a scout pilot. He often mentioned how others were more aggressive however I think that was just his opinion. When talking to his door gunner the story was quite different. I think the name "Bulldog" might have been more appropriate.

"Cisco" had been a door gunner. He had been wounded and also awarded medals for valor. If his character was portrayed in a movie it would have been similar to "Rambo" and yet in real life he was just the opposite. He had devoted his recent life to Special Olympics. It was as though he achieved an extra portion of compassion for those in need. He would light up when telling of how much he enjoyed working with those challenged and less fortunate. He was deeply in love with his wife and when she had to undergo an operation for cancer he had placed his Purple Heart on her pillow. That gave me a wonderful insight into this special person.

"Baby San" was an associate member of our unit. He had been granted that because he had been a Black Hat or otherwise called a pathfinder. These were the guys that went on long range patrols and reported back enemy activity. It was a very dangerous and lonely job. He had lived and worked with the scouts and certainly deserved our recognition. He had been severely wounded and was given a medical discharge however his son had gone into the Army and "Baby San" had moved to Ft Bragg to be near him.

"Ski" was the flight operations specialist. He had been responsible for scheduling missions, taking reports on mission and knowing on a daily basis what was our situation. It was only natural for him to become close to the scouts, he kept their flight records and also closed out those records when someone was lost. It must have been hard on him to be privy to everything going on and yet helpless to do anything about it.

There was very little drinking done and I don't remember any bragging either. Everyone sat intently listening to each other talk about their experiences and thoughts both past and present. Their was no hatred for the enemy expressed or even negative reactions to the Vietnam war.

It was an incredible experience for me and leaves me with many thoughts. Although I will still have to filter them all out I'll probably end this with an old statement. It wasn't much of a war but it was all we had!

Excerpts from an article written by Clay Greager

The following members attended the reunion :

names left to right :

F. Vanatta, B. Van Noy, B. Potvin, P. Anderson, C. Greager by Ed Holmes

K. Gardiner, C. Borowski, J. Harris, D. Bates by Ed Holmes

J. Harris, C. Borowski, K. Gardiner, P. Anderson, E. Holmes, B. Potvin by F. Vanatta

P. Anderson, E. Holmes, B. Potvin, B. Van Noy, J. Vanatta, D. Anderson, F. Vanatta,      K. Gardiner, J. Harris, C. Borowski by F. Vanatta

P. Anderson, E. Holmes, F. Vanatta, B. Potvin by F. Vanatta