Aviation Unit

Roll Call main page

Nicola Zeuzem (Crew Chief), August, 1965 - August, 1966. While not crewing his helicopter, Nicola was put to work as the company artist. It was he who painted Snoopy on the rock near the communications shack (see HISTORY / WHAT'S IN A NAME). He was also involved in erecting the rotor blade archway at An Khe and he did the artwork on that structure (see HISTORY / A PLACE TO HANG OUR HAT). Nicola is a graphic designer, graduating with a BS in 1975. He presently works for a small local newspaper, and lives in San Mateo, CA. Check out his web site through the LINKS section.

Ronald Ehmann (Pilot), August, 1965 - May, 1966. Ron was another of the original group who went to Vietnam on the USNS Boxer. At that time, the callsign for the HHC 1st BDE was "Quarterback". Ron remembers Al Smith playing "You Can't Roller Skate in a Buffalo Herd" on his tape deck until everyone was ready to throw it and him overboard. Ron was shot down in May of 1996, spent two weeks at the 85th Med  Evac hospital in Qui Nhon, was med evaced to Denver, and was honorably discharged on June 29, 1966. After about two years, Ron got his flight physical back and flew for Petroleum Helicopters in Louisiana for about a year  and a half.  He then went to work for Immigration Service, spent 21 years with them, and retired in 1992. Ronald is now deceased.

Joe Marr (Helicopter Mechanic, Air Traffic Control), August, 1965 - December, 1966. Joe was assigned to the HHC 1st Brigade, 11th Air Assault group when it became the HHC 1st Brigade 1st Cavalry in July, 1965. He came to Vietnam on the USNS Geiger with those first groups, helping to build the main base camp at An Khe. Though initially assigned as a mechanic and door gunner, Joe was later trained as an air traffic controller. He operated at several of the LZ's in the area, often working from his jeep. Joe had painted the comic strip character Snoopy on the front of his jeep. As the aviation unit was designated as "10", his radio station became known by the pilots as "Snoopy 1 zero". Joe was transferred to the 11th Aviation Group in December, 1966, where he trained others in the roll of air traffic control until he returned to the US in April, 1967. Joe remembers Al Smith somehow getting an OH-13 off the ground near Pleiku with Joe, Al, and a 200+ pound wild boar onboard. Joe is presently working with his son installing electric mains for new housing developments in the Denver, CO area.

Michael Dhunjishah (Company Clerk, Armorer), August, 1965 - August, 1966. Michael joined the unit at Ft. Benning and traveled to Vietnam on the USNS Geiger.  As of 2001, Michael has been married for 35 years to the same woman. He has two kids--both in the Army. His son is a Captain at Ft. Bragg and his daughter is a JAG Captain at Jackson.  Michael is a civil engineer, currently living in Orange, CA. He would welcome any troopers who come out his way to stop by. (He warns that he does not drink light beer--life is too short.) He runs marathons for fun.

Alfred C. Smith (Pilot), Fullback 13, September, 1965 - September, 1966. Al was among the first members of the 1st Cav  to arrive in Vietnam, sailing into Qui Nhon on the USNS Boxer. He was one of the first to land on Hong Kong Mountain, when it still had a peak. Al retired from the Fort Worth, Texas, Police Department in 1993, where he was the Chief Pilot of the Air Support Division. He then spent his time travelling around in his RV as much as possible. Al passed away on 23 September, 2013.

Bill Medsker (Pilot), MUSCLES, Muscles 13, March, 1966 - March, 1967. Bill did a second tour in the 1969 - 1970 time frame, flying for the Cobra NETT in the Vung Tau area. He retired from the Army in 1981, and returned to his family farm in North West Missouri.

Grant Green (Pilot), Winchester 36, May, 1966 - May, 1967. After a short time with the Aviation Platoon, Grant was assigned to Bde HQ as the S3 (Air),but was still able to get some flying in. After his first tour in Vietnam, Grant was Commander of a Warrant Officer Candidate Co. at Ft. Wolters. In 1969, he did a fixed wing transition course, followed by another tour in Vietnam as Commander of Co B, 158 Avn. Bn, 101^st Airborne Div. Later, Grant served as C.O. 2^nd Avn. Bn in Korea and as Military Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defence. Grant retired in 1983. He interrupted work in the private sector (Primarily consulting) to serve in senior positions at the National Security Council, Department of Defence, Department of State and on a Congressional Commission. Grant resides with his wife, Virginia, in Alexandria, VA.

James Hanna (Pilot), June, 1966 - June, 1967. Jim now lives in Yazoo City, MS.

Thomas Winkler (Scout Gunner, UH-1 Crew Chief), July, 1966 - July, 1967. After returning from Vietnam, Thomas married and settled down in Scotia, NY. He went to work for General Electric and subsequently Honeywell as a computer technician working on large main frame and data center systems.  He was laid off in the 90's and went back to college to get a degree in accounting and did some accounting work in later years before finally retiring. Thomas passed away on 6 July, 2018.

Harold Daulphin (Crew Chief, Gunner), July, 1966 - July, 1967. Harold is living in Bathe, ME.

Gerry Gaida (Crew Chief), July 1966 - February, 1967. In February, 1967, Gerry was wounded while on a scout mission. He credits the quick thinking of Jim Hanna for not letting him bleed to death. Gerry believes that Tom Winkler was flying with Steve Rossiter in the 2nd aircraft on that mission. Tom and Gerry (no pun intended) were at Ft. Eustis in the same class for training prior going to Viet Nam. After Gerry recovered, he spent a few months at Ft. Eustis as a weapons trainer and left the Army in December, 67. He then became a police officer and worked for a Chicago suburban Police Department for 21 years, after which he went to work for the State of Illinois as a Revenue Investigator. He retired from Law Enforcement in 2002. In 1977, Gerry joined the Army Reserves as an Intelligence Analyst. In 1979, he had the opportunity to go to flight school. Gerry flew out of the Glenview NAS Army Flight Facility until it closed in the late 1990's, where he met Tony Hannell. Tony was the facility supervisor, and they worked together for many years not knowing they both served in the same unit in Viet Nam. Neither one of them ever talked about where they were. Gerry  retired from the Army in 2005 as a Colonel. He lived in Antioch, Illinois with his wife of 45 years until she passed away in 2012. They were blessed with 3 great sons and 5 grandchildren. He then moved to Venice, Florida in 2013 where he met and later married Michelle.

Bill Conway (Pilot), SWAMP FOX, August, 1966 - August, 1967. Bill remembers helping to build the club at LZ English. He now lives with his wife in Bishopville, SC, where he is the Assistant County Administrator for Lee County, SC. He has four children and three grandchildren. Bill points out that he is now 100 pounds heavier than he was in Vietnam.

Jim Bell (Gunner, Crew Chief), November, 1966 - November, 1967.

Charles A. Barone (Crew Chief), CB, November, 1966 - November, 1967. Charles was from New York, and is now living in New Rochelle. After working in stone grinding for a few years, Charles went to art school and became a sculptor.

Ralph S. (Stan) Childress (Pilot), PLAYBOY, November, 1966 - November, 1967. Stan, as most people know him, was the commander of the aviation detachment at Ft. Jackson, SC, when he retired in November, 1980 as a Major. After that, he spent 14 years in the banking industry in Alabama and Georgia. Stan had a small trucking company in Byron, GA. Stan passed away on 12 October, 2019.

Steve Rossiter (Pilot), KING NINE, Ring Master White 19, December, 1966 - November, 1967. Steve is the Inter-Regional Aviation Manager for the US Department of the Interior, in Missoula, MT.

Jeff Johns (Pilot), HUNTER, January, 1967 - January, 1968. Jeff did a tour as an instrument instructor at Ft. Rucker after leaving the Flying Circus, and then did another tour in Vietnam flying Cobras with the 101st. He retired as a Major at the end of 1985. Jeff currently works supporting the U.S. Boarder Patrol under the Department of Homeland Security at their headquarters in Washington, DC.

William (Bill) H. Pool (Gunner, Armament repair), KILLER, February, 1967 - January, 1968. When Bill first flew scouts, they were still using the "Comet White" call signs. Bill was a supervisor for 18 of the 22 years he spent with the Orlando, Florida Police Department after he left the Army. Bill passed away on 20 November, 2013.

Jim Willey (Pilot), BEAVER, February, 1967 - February, 1968. Jim worked for the Polaroid Corporation for some 20 years after leaving the Army. In 1993 he left Polaroid and help his brother expand the business they had started in 1983. Jim retired in 2001, and now lives with his wife in Rye Beach, NH.

Jim Zanavich (Pilot), DRAGON, March, 1967 - April, 1968. Jim is now living in Connecticut.

Bill Hinson (Pilot), March, 1967 - March, 1968. Bill is living in Charlotte, NC.

Steve Salinas (Crew Chief), June, 1967 - June, 1968. Steve is remembered by Dave Gray as "the guy with the California flag" at LZ's English and Betty. Steve is a retired police officer, and now lives with his wife and family in Brea, CA.

Joe Randolph (Crew Chief, Gunner), June, 1967 - June, 1968.

Reinaldo D. Molinar "Ray" (Crew Cheif, Gunner), TUMBLEWEED, June, 1967 - June, 1968. When Ray joined the unit in June 1967, he was assigned as an aircraft repairman.  He worked on Hueys and OH-13S’s. He enjoyed working on the OH-13S so much more that he volunteered to fly as a scout/gunner. Ray works for the State of California and lives in Yuba City, CA.  He has been married to his wife Mary for 43 years and they have 1 daughter.  Ray plans to retire next year from the State.  He retired from the Air Force Reserves in March 2007, having served for a total of 24 years.  He also served in the California National Guard as a tank commander. Ray restores vehicles and motorcycles as a hobby, and is currently restoring a 1930 Ford Model A Sedan.  He rides his Harley as often as he can.  Another hobby is that of flying the 4 very large remote control aircraft in his possession. Ray says he will never lose his love for helicopters.

Joe Cox (Pilot), OUTLAW, June, 1967 - July, 1968. Joe was sometimes called "JC/AC" or "Magnet ass" after having taken rounds through his OH-13's rotor blades from a gunner in Quang Tri. He was shot down on 15 May, 1968 in UH-1H #66-16927 in the Ashau Valley and landed in the middle of the Aloi Airstrip right in the middle of a lot of claymore mines. After Viet Nam, Joe's military career was a primary flight instructor at Fort Wolters, TX until 1970. He went to the Wisconsin National Guard, RCPAC and various reserve component units until 1996. Joe's civilian career was in aviation and took him all over the World. He worked and lived for 2 years in Churchill Falls Labrador, Canada, flying helicopters for the Churchill Falls hydro-power plant. Joe later flew for Air Wisconsin, Braniff, Mesaba and Northern Airlines, finally retiring from United Airlines after 20 years flying domestic and internationally in June 2006. Joe now lives with his wife, Sheila, in Punta Gorda, FL. and has 2 married sons who live in Minnesota and Oklahoma. Joe's hobbies now are sailing, gardening, Banjo playing, walking dogs, occasionally fishing and being a grandparent.

George Temme (Crew Chief), June, 1967 - June, 1968. George remembers that for most of his time at Quang Tri, he was always hungry and tired. George was posted to Germany after leaving Vietnam. He received a degree in applied science specializing in welding after leaving the military, and worked as a steamfitter – pipe fitter for 38 years. George now lives in Vancouver, Washington.

Phillip Rybolt (Pilot), ROAD RUNNER, Stingray White 21, July, 1967 - June, 1968. Phil retired from the Illinois National Guard in 1997 and is currently living and working in Douglasville, Ga. Phil is a Senior Account Manager in the Logistics Division of Caterpillar Inc.

Dennis Farmerie (Gunner, Crew Chief), BLADE, July, 1967 - July, 1968. Dennis retired from the Army in 1987, but is still working for them as an A&P Technician. He is with the 15th MIBN at Ft. Hood, TX.

Dave Gray (Pilot), FOX, August, 1967 - August, 1968. Dave retired as a CW4 in 1987. He currently works for Petroleum Helicopters and lives in Harker Heights, Texas.

Arthur "Rocky" Essenpreis (Pilot), PINK PANTHER, Stingray White 13, August, 1967 - August, 1968. Arthur retired from the Army Reserves in 1996. He worked as a DOD Army Mil Tech with the Army Reserves at Scott AFB, IL, as a Maintenance Supervisor/Test Pilot flying OH-58s, UH-1s, and UH-60s. He now works as an Aeronautical Analyst with National Imagery and Mapping Agency in St. Louis, where he lives with his wife, Paula. 

Thomas Kuypers (C.O., Pilot), CHEYENNE, Circus 6, October, 1967 - September, 1968. Tom is the person who introduced the name "Flying Circus" for the unit. Tom now lives in St. Charles, MO, and was a Systems Engineering Manager for Boeing until he retired in January, 2004.

Frank Vanatta (Pilot), PHANTOM, Stingray White 24, November, 1967 - November, 1968. Frank was the first of our pilots to be checked out in the OH-6, and delivered the unit's first one to the Quang Tri base in early February, 1968. The Captain of the USS Princeton stated that Frank was the first person to be Carrier Qualified in the OH-6. Frank now lives in Sale, Victoria, Australia, and spent the final part of his aviation career flying S-76's in offshore oil support for Esso Australia - part of the ExxonMobile group. After over 32 years with Esso, and having accumulated over 21,200 hours flight time, Frank retired at the end of January, 2005.

Bob Potvin (Pilot), HOSS, Stingray White 25, November, 1967 - November, 1968. Bob was with the Circus when they changed over from OH-13's to OH-6's. He was the first Circus pilot to become an IP in the OH-6. He was also the first to crank a round in the dirt while clearing the mini-gun. Bob was living in East Lansing, MI. Bob passed away on 5 May, 2019.

Wayne Wehrheim (Gunner), November, 1967 - November, 1968. Wayne says that for the first six months in country, he was employed at the BDE S2/3 shop, posting maps, making coffee, sweeping floors and doing other constructive things. For the last six months, he was a door gunner for Col. Standard's C&C, with Randy Ross as the crew chief. Wayne says he was "the kid from Chicago". Wayne is living in Davenport, IA, where he works as a policeman. He left active service in 1970 and then reenlisted into the Army Reserves 13 years later.

Phil Bishop (Gunner, Crew Chief), YOSEMITE SAM, November, 1967 - October, 1968. The main thing Phil recalls from his time with the unit is that he was shot down several times. Phil is now living in Elk City, OK, where he is teaching caricature woodcarving. He has been teaching this across the U.S., and has taught in 22 states so far. His goal is to teach in all of the states.

David L. Billings, (Gunner), HAWKEYE, late 1967. David had a reputation as being a deadly gunner. He was originally from Michigan, but lived in Claremont, CA, after Vietnam. He moved to Las Vegas around 1974, where he worked as a slot mechanic. David retired with health conditions in 2012, and passed away from a heart attack and complications from a stroke on 29 July, 2013. David is sorely missed by his daughter, Dawn, who sent in this information.

Ronnie Robinette (Pilot), CHEROKEE, March, 1968 - March, 1969. Ronnie lives in Killeen, TX, and is in retail sales.

John Hewitt (Pilot), WILD THING, Stingray White 30, April, 1968 - depart ??.  John was killed in a mid-air collision on the 24th of September, 1981, near The Meadowlands, NJ.

Ed Holmes (Pilot), CHARTREUSE OX, Stingray White 31, April, 1968 - March, 1969.  Ed lives in Southaven, MS and has been one of the biggest contributors of photos to date.

Pete Anderson (Pilot), SNAKE, Stingray White 33, April, 1968 - March, 1969. Pete lives in Louisville, KY and flies for UPS.

Clay Greager (Platoon Sergeant, Maintenance NCO), POP-TOP, April, 1968 - December, 1968. After retiring from the Army, Clay moved to Key West, Florida. After working at a couple of places, he opened his own business called The Last Flight Out which was an aviation-themed retail clothing and accessory store. After his time in the Army, and having completed two tours in Vietnam with the 1st Cav, Clay settled right in to the laid back life in the Keys. In fact, it took a hurricane once to get him of the island for a short period of time. Clay passed away peacefully at his home in the Key West on 23 October, 2023. 

Mike Paitz (Pilot), BLUE GOOSE, April, 1968 - September, 1970. Mike is now working for the Pyxis Corporation in San Diego.

Enoch Rex Wingate (Crew Chief / Gunner), WIND, April, 1968 - May, 1969. When Rex got out of the Army, he had a small trucking company for awhile. He later started a plumbing company. Rex passed away on 16 March, 2014.

W. M. Sullivan (Pilot), GAUCHO, Stingray White 34, May, 1968 - May, 1969. GAUCHO was living in Pacific Grove, CA. He was getting his kicks as a Correctional Officer. GAUCHO passed away on 3 September, 2017.

Darryl "Pat" Riley (Gunner), May, 1968 - May, 1969. Darryl is now living in White Lake, Michigan with his wife and three children.

Terry Bartee (Crewman), May, 1968 - September, 1968.

Merlin Dede, (Technical Inspector, Gunner), BLACK KNIGHT, May, 1968 - ??. Merlin was last known to be living near Columbia, SC.

Larry Emberton (Gunner), MIGHTY MOUSE, May, 1968 - May, 1969. Larry passed away on 19 November, 2019, in his hometown of Midland Texas.

Blazowski, Paul J., (Pilot), SNIFFLES, Stingray White 36, Sometime in the 1968 time frame. Paul was a Design  Engineer with GEC (General electric company) - Marconi Aerospace. It is believed that he lives in NJ.

Cleveland Grant (Crew Chief, Gunner), GOMER, June, 1968 - June, 1969. Cleveland  was a fireman for thirty years after he left Vietnam, and retired from the City of Cocoa Fire Department in Florida in 1999.

Sam Estes (Gunner, Crew Chief), June, 1968 - June, 1969. After Vietnam, Sam was at Ft. Eustis for about nine months, with a Guard unit for another year, then was in the USAF for about eight more years. After 29 years as an insurance claim representative with the Farmers Insurance group, Sam retired in late 2008.

Harry Oberg (Pilot), COWBOY, Stingray White 37, July, 1968 - March, 1969. Harry is currently living in Alexandria, VA, with his wife, Jeanna.

Warren Lashley (Maintenance Technical Inspector), July, 1968 - July, 1969. Warren now lives in Lillington, NC, with his wife and two grown sons. Warren is an Industrial Manufacturing Machinery Controls Engineer.

William Van Noy (Pilot), MOLE, Stingray White 42, September, 1968 - March, 1969. Bill retired as a CW4 from the NY National Guard in 1989. He was working in the flight department of Boeing in Seattle as an engineer for 11 years and then as a corporate pilot for another 22 years, until he retired in 2009. Bill recalls flying out to one of the LPH aircraft carriers with Frank Vanatta one evening where they had dinner. He also landed on the Battleship New Jersey with Frank, but they were not allowed to stay on deck because the ship was about to open up with the big 16" guns. Bill is married, and now lives in Yuma, AZ.

Joe Potvin (Pilot), LITTLE JOE, Chickenman 24, September, 1968 - November, 1968.  Joe is living in Lansing, MI. Joe works for PaineWebber with his twin brother Bob. Joe passed away on 5 December, 2021.

John Herndon (Gunner), September, 1968 - September, 1969. John was a union electrician until 2003 when he retired from that occupation and got into Real Estate. He and his wife sold their house in Poway, CA, took a year off, and lived in their trailer for nine months while their new house was built in Hemet. John got back into Real Estate in 2005, just in time for the market downturn. He says that despite that, he is holding his own in the market.

Ron Grossmann (Gunner, Crew Chief), September, 1968 - April, 1969.

Joe Baginski (Pilot), BAGGY, Stingray White 41, October, 1968 - April, 1969. Joe is a small business owner in Rocklin, CA.

Michael O'Rourke, (Avionics), October, 1968 - October, 1969. Michael is from Minneapolis, MN.

John E. Fowler,  (Gunner), November, 1968 - March, 1969. John volunteered for Scouts soon after arriving in the unit, and flew most of his missions north of Tay Ninh. He and Harry Oberg were shot down in March near LZ Grant, spent two weeks in Japan and then one month at the Brooks Army Medical Center. John and his wife live in Mineral Wells, TX, where they run their own Machine Shop.

Jack Pennington, (Crew Chief, tech inspector, maintenance supervisor), PENNY, November, 1968 - December, 1969. Jack was crew chief on a UH-1H. It was shot up pretty badly and had to be repaired and repainted. He got the guys in Ben Hoa to mix up a special batch of paint, which made it very distinctive. It was dark glossy green with glossy black highlights and a big bright yellow Cav patch on the nose and 2 smaller ones on the rear doors. You couldn't miss it. Jack now lives in Abita Springs, La. He is the Chief Engineer for the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium on the R/V Pelican. Jack passed away on December 28, 2020.

Mick McCann (Pilot), HAWG, Stingray White 46. Transferred to the unit December, 1968 - June, 1969. Mick served 19 years in the Army and also graduated from Rutgers and attended Scranton University. He retired and was living in Phillipsburg, N.J. Mick passed away from pneumonia on 21 October, 2015.

Linwood Joyner (Crew Chief, Gunner), "J", December, 1968 - December, 1969. Lin recalls how heavy the M-60 was until "the action heated up" - then it was almost weightless. Most of the gunners will relate to that feeling. Lin lived in Milton, FL, and died on March 26, 2007.

Tommy H. Harris (Door Gunner), SMILEY, January, 1969 - June, 1969. Tom originally arrived in country in April, 1968, and was assigned to D/2/8 ANGRY SKIPPER until January 1969 when he was reassigned to the Flying Circus. Tom currently lives in Newman, GA, and has recently retired from the Georgia Army National Guard.

James M. Wilhite (Pilot), EVIL EYE FLEAGLE, January, 1969 - August, 1969 . Jim is currently living in Trinidad and Tobago and is the Managing Pilot for Bristow Helicopters' operations in the Caribbean.

Barry Reimer (Pilot), GRUB, January, 1969 - ??, 1969. Barry arrived in Vietnam in July, 1968, and was assigned to the 229th. He finally got re-assigned to the Circus the following January, where he caught up with his classmate, Harry Oberg. Barry was last known to be in the Los Angeles / Orange County area.

Terrance D. Racine "Terry" (Helicopter Mechanic, Records Clerk), January, 1969 - December, 1969. Terry spent the first part of his tour doing maintenance on and filling in as a door gunner on one of the C&C helicopters. He spent the final part of his time with the unit as a records clerk. After returning from Vietnam, Terry spent a year in the accounting and finance department at Ft. Rucker. After leaving the Army, he operated his own tax and accounting business up until 2001. Terry is married, with two daughters, and lives on a 40 acre spread which contains its own lake. Terry is enjoying retirement.

Alan W. Smith (Pilot), SNUFFY, Stingray White 15, January, 1969 - January, 1970. Alan says he was tasked as the Tech Supply Officer, though never did find out what the job was. He shared a room with McCann and Houghton (ANIMAL). Though Alan retired from the Army after 20 years, he still continues to fly. He did two years as a Civil Service pilot, then 17 more years with TWA, American and now American Eagle. He is looking forward to retirement in about 2008.

Bill Squire (Pilot), SQUIRREL, Stingray White 16, February, 1969 - June, 1969. Bill is a retired CW4 and worked as a test pilot for an aviation company in Longmont, CO until September, 2001. After that, Bill was working with the Gilpin County Seniors Program, "Meals on Wheels" and the local Teen Center and really enjoying retirement. Bill passed away on 28 July, 2006.

Bill Hogan (Pilot), GOAT, February, 1969 - September, 1969. Bill was a Department of the Army Standardization Instructor Pilot. He is currently living in Alabama.

John Shearer (Pilot), SCROTUM, White 18, February, 1969 - February, 1970. John is currently living in Manhattan, KS.

Lew F. Jones (Crew Chief), February, 1969 - August, 1969. Lew is an Arborist, and is enjoying an active outdoor life style living in the Northwest.

Marvin R. Stokes (C.O., Pilot), TEX, Circus 6, February, 1969 - January, 1970. Marvin joined the unit in February, and took over as its Commanding Officer in March.  Marvin retired from the Army in August, 1980, and moved to Port Orange, FL. For the past fourteen years, he has been managing travel agencies - being the manager of Suncoast Travel in South Daytona for the last nine years. Marvin is heavily involved in the American Volksport Association, which is a non-competitive walking/biking/swimming/cross-country skiing organization, currently serving as its Florida President. He is also one of the Co-Presidents of the Happy Wanderers Walking Club based in the Port Orange area. He only retired from the Army - not life. To back up that that concept, Marvin walked all 50 states and jogged many others! In keeping with the concept of a busy retired life, Marvin's wife, Tina, is the Deputy Risk Manager for the City of Daytona Beach. Marvin passed away 29 March, 2020.

Doug Haggard (Gunner), SCOUTBIRD, February, 1969 - December, 1969. Doug is currently living in New Salisbury, IN, where he was working for a local bank. He retired in 2013.

Ira H. Burke (Pilot), STONEY, Stingray White 43, March, 1969 - March, 1970. Ira was an OH-6 Instructor Pilot, and was on his second tour when he joined the unit. He received a direct commission to 1 Lt on 11 February, 1970. Ira died from complications due to ALS (Lou Gerhig's Disease) on 16 December, 1980.

David Miles (Gunner, Crew Chief), LITTLE WOLF BUDDY, March, 1969 - October, 1969. David was on his second tour when he was assigned to the unit. He is the guy who painted "Fred's Place" on top of the WOLF DEN.

James B. Howard Sr. (Pilot), POKEY, White 52, March, 1969 - July, 1969. James flew C&C for about a month before joining the scout section. He recalls that there were eight teams when he joined the section, but only one team left by June. James got into an argument with a 51 cal. emplacement in July, which resulted in his going through four years of reconstructive surgery. James has finished four degrees, and is now employed with the U.S. Department of Labor where he works as a vocational rehabilitation specialist. He lives in the Dallas TX area with his wife.

Rod Hillard (Pilot), SPIKE, April, 1969 - November, 1969. Rod was our IP in the UH-1 and the OH-6 during his time with the unit. He was living in Richmond, KY, where he worked in the Department of Entomology at the University of Kentucky. Rod passed away in 2009.

Tony Wasmer (Armament Specialist, Gunner), Tony arrived sometime in the early part of 1969, and departed in the later part of 1970. Tony lived in Wisconsin, and passed away on 1 October, 2013.

Keith Zuhlke (Crew Chief, Gunner), ZONK, May, 1969 - April, 1970. Keith is now a rancher and in the insurance business with his wife Deb. They live in "Big Red Country" Nebraska - "where the rivers flow north ".

Frank Galyen (Crew Chief), STUMP, May, 1969 - May, 1970. Frank owned Butch, the dog who appears in the 1969-A album.  Frank lives in Waldport, OR, and works as a Water Distribution worker and Cross Connection Inspector in Seal Rock.

Frank Amos (Pilot, Executive Officer), PARNELLI, May, 1969 - April, 1970. Frank was living in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, where he worked for the Oracle Corporation. Frank passed away in late July, 2017.

Mark Fraraccio (Avionics), IGOR, May, 1969 - May, 1970. Though Mark's primary job was avionics, he pestered Sgt. Darby to let him fly door gunner on 16128 . Mark is now living in St. Louis.

Jon Harris (Pilot), LITTLE LUKE,  June, 1969 - June,1970. Jon was an IP on the OH-6 while with the unit. He now lives in Ellerlie, Georgia. Jon passed away on 18 November, 2022.

Tom Smith (Pilot), ATOM ANT, Stingray White 24 (2nd use of that number), June, 1969 - May, 1970. Tom is now living in Keene Valley, New York. The book "Easy Target", written by Tom, is a first hand account of a Circus Scout Pilot.

Mike Foster (Pilot), CRAB, Stingray White 27, June, 1969 - December, 1970. Mike is a motorcycle enthusiast, and it is reported that he flew back to Bien Hoa with a motorcycle that was part of an NVA arms cache lashed to the side of an OH-6. Mike was the pilot on the "spook" Huey seen in the pictures that was the last to fly out of the embassy. Mike owns is own business in St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands.

Larry McLeroy (Gunner, Armament Specialist), GUNNER GOOSE, June, 1969 - June, 1970. Larry lives in St. Louis, Mo.

Donald Harp (Pilot), TOAD, Stingray White 21 (second use of that number), June, 1969 - June, 1970. Don now lives in Huntsville, AL, and works at PM AW (U.S. Army Aviation Life Support Equipment) as a support contractor.

Harold Siems, (Crew Chief), WEIRD HAROLD, June, 1969 - September, 1970. Harold took over as Crew Chief of #16128, named Friedli. He flew with door gunners Mark Fraraccio and then Hanz Zinsman.

Read Armstrong (Pilot), STINKY, Stingray White 26, July, 1969 - July, 1970. Read is a retired CW4. He served 23 years as a medivac pilot in the Maine National Guard. Read lives in Bath, Maine and works at Bath Iron Works Corporation building ships.

Bob Smith (head of Maintenance & Tech. supply), August, 1969 - August, 1970. At the present time Bob lives in Mesa, AZ with his wife, Patty.

Carl Hirlston Sr. (Parts Clerk), BIG H, September, 1969 - September, 1970. Carl is technically retired now, but is busier than ever with his association with half a dozen community groups. He lives on a 17 acre farm in Woodbury, TN, where he raises goats for a hobby.

Tony Hannell (Pilot), J. EDGAR, September, 1969 - left sometime in 1970, after the move to Bien Hoa. Tony was last known to be living in Elgin, I. He was the head, GS position of the Glenvew NAS flight facility for the Army Reserve 86th ARCOM for at least 20 years until the base closure in 1994.

Kenneth Steele (Crew Chief), September, 1969 - ??. Kenneth was from Fayetteville, TN. Kenneth passed away on 16 March, 2023.

Ron McNevin (Pilot), MORY, Stingray White 28, September, 1969 - November, 1969. Ron was shot down while flying lead scout with Tony Windham. He has been working for Delta Airlines for about 31 years (as of late 2003), and now lives in Centerville, UT.

Dan Harris (Pilot), DUCK, Stingray White 23, September, 1969 - March, 1970. Dan transferred into the Circus from C Company of the 229th. Dan lived in El Paso, TX, with his wife, where he operated a full service car wash and convenience store. Dan passed away March, 2014.

Ken Gardiner (Scout Gunner), CISCO, October, 1969 - April, 1970.  Ken is living in Daytona Beach, Fl. and is working in Medical Administration.

Carl Borowski (Flight Operations), SKI, October, 1969 - November, 1970. Carl is living in Chicago and is a small business owner.

Jerry Buchta (Maintenance Clerk), COP (short for KANSAS CITY COP), October, 1969 - September, 1970. Jerry recalls how Mike Foster (CRAB) showed him how the OH-6 could fly almost upside down - well, almost fly. Jerry went back to work for the Kansas City Police Department for a few years after getting out of the Army, then worked for a company that rented semi-trailers to other companies and finally settled into being an elementary school custodian. He retired in mid 2005 and lived with his wife in Kansas City, MO. Jerry passed away on 27 September, 2014, after suffering some strokes.

Bruce Brattain (Pilot), BATMAN, October, 1969 - December, 1970. Bruce had a great desire to fly scouts, so Mike Foster checked him out. It turns out that the worst pounding he ever got was on his first mission, flying with Mike. The aircraft got them back in one piece, but it looked like a sieve. Bruce went to law school after the Army and became an attorney. He now lives in Indianapolis, IN.

David Ciocca (Pilot), COYOTE, Stingray White 34, October, 1969 - October, 1970.

Claudio White (Pilot), QUAIL, October, 1969 - ??. Claudio is a retired CW4 and is currently living in San Antonio, TX with his wife Rose and family.

Jim Stingley (Crew Chief), OGRE, November, 1969 - October, 1970. Jim did a second tour in Vietnam starting in April, 1971, where he was assigned to F Troop, 8th Cav, 23rd Infantry Division. He was shot down and wounded in an OH-6 in December, 1971 while checking out an enemy compound. He and the pilot made their way through the jungle and were rescued by a rope from another aircraft. The enemy compound was believed to be one of the largest headquarters of top brass. It was levelled by the Air Force soon after this incident. Jim was killed in an automobile accident near Powell, Wyoming, on 13 August, 1994.

Tom Wiktorek (Pilot), PREACHER, November, 1969 - July, 1970. Tom was the unit's maintenance Officer while he was there. He believes that he is the only person to fly an OH-6A with only two rotor blades. He did this to prove to the other pilots that it could actually be done if they were in a bind. Tom and his wife own a small business in Blytheville, AR. "Cecelia Ann Inc." is a small  specialty store for ladies, having dresses and such.

David Diekmann (Aircraft Mechanic), November, 1969 - February, 1970. Dave was in Vietnam from April, 1969 to May, 1970. Though he was officially assigned to B Company, 15th Transportation Battalion of the 1st Cav., he was on temporary assignment to the Flying Circus between the dates mentioned above. During that time, Dave was a helicopter mechanic on the scout aircraft. Dave has been working for Nucor Steel for the last 30 years. He runs three Ladle Mixing Furnaces where they add alloys to recycled steel and other scrap metal to make various grades of new steel. Dave now lives in Osmond, NE.

Gary W. Norris (Gunner),  December, 1969 - October, 1970. Gary was transferred along with some of the unit's other members in about August of 1970, when the Cav began taking scouts from various units to make up the 1/9's new Echo Troop which was to be based at Lai Khe. Gary is currently assigned to an EMS helicopter at Osage Beach, MO, and is living in Eldon, MO.

Ed Maycen (Crew Chief on aircraft 189), NEWGUY, January, 1970 - December, 1970. Ed is a retired US Army First Sergeant and was an Aircraft Maintenance Supervisor, Washington DC area, for American Airlines based out of Washington National Airport. He resided in Fredericksburg, Virginia with his wife and daughter. Ed passed away on 13 February, 2024.

William Underwood (Pilot), UNDERDOG, January, 1970 - December, 1970.  Bill is a retired CW4 and is currently operating is own Air Conditioning Company. Underwood lives in Council Grove, KS with his wife.

Duke McKinney (Gunner, Crew Chief), CALIFORNIA FLASH, January, 1970 - December, 1970. Duke was married to Judy Ann while on R&R in August of 1970, and it was her name that adorned the nose of Huey 68-16126. Duke had two sons after his return to the U.S. He is now divorced, is retired and lives a carefree life in Dallas, TX.

Alex Botko (Crew Chief), DOG 6, January, 1970 - December, 1970. Alex got the nickname DOG 6 because he looked after several of the stray dogs in the area. After Vietnam, Alex stayed in the Reserves for 10 years, assigned to the 187th Infantry Brigade as an aircraft inspector at Ft. Devens, MA. Later, as a civilian aircraft inspector, he worked for the Department of the Army as one of only a few civilians who were on run-up orders for the OH-58, and UH-1H helicopters to do MOC's after maintenance / PM's. He was even allowed to stay on those orders after the guy landed a Huey on the White House lawn and most orders were revoked for fear of another incident. Alex later worked as an Industrial Engineer, a Plant Manager and owned and operated an Italian Restaurant with his wife. He is currently semi-retired, working part time for his son/daughter-in-law's medical parts company in Rock Hill, SC. Alex just purchased a Victory/Lehman Crossbow Trike and enjoys riding it as much as possible.

Warren L. Winter (Pilot), SNOWMAN, March, 1970 - March, 1971. Warren worked as a commercial helicopter pilot in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea until he retired in 1988. He is living with his wife and kids in Singapore.

Bernard Villegas, (door gunner), PINEAPPLE, March, 1970 - March, 1971.

George Gluski (Pilot), JOLLY GREEN GIANT, March, 1970 - March, 1971. George was based at Fort Rucker as an O6 when he retired. He jumped from CW2 to 2lt in 1978, and says that he was probably the oldest O6 at Rucker. George is now retired and living in Tucson, AZ.

Hanz Zinsman (Door Gunner), MINI GOOK, April, 1970 - March, 1971. Hanz is retired from the Hawaiian National Guard and still lives in Hawaii with his family.

Mike Caifa (Pilot), CADILLAC JOE, April, 1970 - March, 1971. Mike was with the unit almost to the end of its time in Vietnam. According to our HISTORY section, the official duties of the 1st Cavalry Division in Vietnam were ending by late March. The colors of the Division, minus those of the 3rd Brigade, moved back to Fort Hood on 5 May, 1971. Towards the end of Mike's stay, the unit was receiving pilots transferring in to finish out their tours in country. Mike was one of the last of our people to serve his entire tour with the unit.

Charlie McAllister (Crew Chief), TATERS, June, 1970 - March, 1971. Charlie was a gunner on 722, and then became the crewchief on 394. When the 1st Brigade stood down in 1971, Charlie transferred to the 229th and served until January, 1972. Charlie now lives in Macon, GA, where he is working for GE in X-ray field service.

Thomas L. Twist (Pilot), JOKER, June, 1970 - April, 1971. Tom was with the 1st 187th, in the 11th Air Assault's 1st Airborne Brigade when it became the 1st Cav. He shipped over on the USNS Geiger in 1965. Tom served 14 months in the airborne infantry that tour, appreciating our scouts and C&C from the ground. He remembers the scouts warning his infantry group of two tigers that were tailing them, an OH-13 that killed an elephant the NVA were using to haul gear from Cambodia / Laos, and a daring impromptu hillside medivac using an OH-13 where stones were being plucked from the hillside by the rotor blades as the pilot tried to get the skids as close to the hill as possible. Tom's second tour was as a pilot with the Flying Circus. Tom stayed in the Army until 1973, and then tried his hand as a cop, an en route air traffic controller at L.A. Center, owned a private investigation / security / armored car service, spent 20 years as a private investigator (still licensed) and retired in 1999. Tom wanted to become an air marshal, but was "too old". He signed on with the Transportation Security Administration to help get that outfit off the ground, and was a supervisor of airport security at Monterey Airport in Monterey, CA. Tom worked for the Department of Homeland Security as an aviation security inspector stationed at San Jose, CA, and retired in December, 2009, with 21 years federal service. Tom has two daughters, three grandsons and one granddaughter; and lives with his wife on 41 acres in the mountains just east of Monterey Bay between Watsonville and Gilroy, CA.

Thomas Buell (Gunner), WHITE RABBIT, June, 1970 - May, 1971. Thomas is retired from the Railroad, and lives on his farm eight miles west of Havre, MT.

Phillip Aigner (C.O., Pilot), CAPTAIN AMERICA, July, 1970 - February, 1971. Phillip was living in Madison, Georgia. Phillip passed away on 2 August, 2022.

Rob Brooks (Pilot), SNIDLEY WHIPLASH, July, 1970 - January, 1971. Rob flew scouts and slicks with the Circus before being reassigned to A/227th (Chickenman 21) in January, 1971, as the CAV began to downsize. Rob was originally from Dallas, but now lives in the Chicago area and was employed by USAA as a claims adjuster. He has been married for 30+ years, and has one son. Rob enjoys his annual 2-3K mile Harley road trip to blow the cobwebs out and local car shows in his '64 Vette. Rob retired in 2012, so now he can do both in a more relaxed way.

Micheal Appis (Crew Chief), September, 1970 - March, 1971. Mike was also with the unit until it was wound down in 1971. He was transferred to the 229th where he finished up his tour in Vietnam.