His Mom didn't find my address till after the funeral, and I don't think many
people showed up.
 Paul Zaneske

Captain Steve Gibson
Crusader Pilot
Due to a major heart attack in 2002.
Steve was transfered to the Gun Platoon after the unit became designated as C 3/17th.
He was also the oficer who was short. He and I had a wire stringing detail and chopped down a mine while he was the OIC and I was NCO. He caught the blast in the whole upper torso.
I had talked with him on the phone 2 days before he died and then I got the email from his family about the heart attack.
I'm very sorry to report this.
Bill Large

 1st Sergeant Richard H. Gardner Sr.
Passed away on August 9, 2002
Cause unknown
He was "Top" in 1970 and 1971
News Cliping
Submitted by Larry Sprader
Photo
Photo

Francis C. Minard
Passed away October 6, 2002 from Liver cancer.
He was with 3/5Cav D Troop from the time he was at Ft.Riley Kansas until he went to Nam in Feb.67.
He was a Doorgunner for 13 months until March 68.
He then went into supply until Oct.68.
Submitted by his wife, Frances Bruno - Minard. (Fran)

Ken Foster
Crusader 30
Passed away the morning of May 30, 2002 after a lengthy illness.
We'll all miss him.
Bill King posts the following:
    Ken was the last member of Light Horse, C/3/17 to leave VN.
He had been assigned to go to Saigon, and the rest of the unit left. The guys he was working with said that he was going to have to leave for the freedom bird, but he told them that he still had stuff in his room back at Vinh Long. These guys said that the base had been turned over to the Arvins for over three weeks and that his shit was long gone.....but Ken insisted on getting a ride to Vinh Long to get his stuff.
When he got there the base was trashed and all hootches had been ransacked. He opened the door to his hootch, and everything was just as he had left it.
The skull was in the rafters, just inside the door, and facing the entrance......
He got his stuff, packed it up, waved goodbye to the skull, and flew back to get on the freedom bird.
As far as he knew, the room and skull are still untouched......
    That's all I know about Ken, other than that he had a great sense of humor, and was really upset that his health prevented him from attending our reunions.

Olson, Kenneth G. E-5
 28 January 2002

Haske, Ronald L. E-5
 24 September 2001

Wigfall, Abraham E-6
 3 June 2001

Griffin, Joseph E.  E-6
12 February 2001

Roger Hinen
War Wagon Crewchief
Died October 15, 2000.
He was found in his van that was parked in a church parking lot.
Cause of death is unknown.
He was my friend and a true brother.
Submitted by Ron Quezada
Prez. Black Knights Association

Jacobs, Robert N.   E-5
9 May 2000

Simon, David F. E-3
 21February 2000

Traweek, James L.  E-4
 23 July 1999

McManusThomas G. 1Lt.
  19 October 1998

Larry Nobles
Long Knife Pilot

after a long battle with a brain tumor.
I considered Larry to be a fine pilot and a Friend.
He will be missed.
  The family asks that he be remembered by making donations to:
The Americian Brain Tumor Assoc.
2720 River Road
Suite 146
Des Plains IL 60018
Submitted by Paul Zaneske
D Trp 3/5 Cav
Vinh Long 70-71
Lemoore CA.

Merle McClendon

Don,  I spoke with you at the reunion about Merle McClendon having died several years ago. I got a hold of his daughter and he died July 10, 1998. Merle was a cobra crew chief and I do recall one of his pilots was Tony Bankston, but I am not sure who’s ship he crewed after Tony left Vietnam. Merle came to Vinh Long about the same time I did in January 1970. Maybe you remember, but they had a deal where you could leave just before Christmas 1970 if you had like 11 months in. That’s what Merle did. He bunked across the hall from Ed Owens and I. If you look through those slides, there is a picture of him and I standing there with each of us holding a hammer. That was the day the lifer’s made us tear down the plywood partitions in our barracks. Please add Merle to our roll call. His daughter said Merle would was proud to serve with us and she really liked the idea someone else is saying his name and remembering.

Carstens, Ronald E.  E-5 
          22 July 1998

Christopher, James W.  E-6   
        23 June 1997

SSG George Bartnicki
George was with us in Vinh Long.
He passed away on September 26, 1996 as a result of Lung Cancer
Submitted by his son, Stanley E. Jones
Photo

Fiveash, Nelson   E-7   
14 Jan 1996

Joseph E. Robinson
War Wagon Crewchief, 70-71
Passed away in 1995 from Colon Cancer
Submitted by Rick Waite via Joe's Dad.

Ltc. (ret) Allan "Ace" Cozzallio
Warwagon 10
Crusader 36
Passed away on April 30, 1993 after failed heart transplant attempt.
Link to Family Memorial at VHPA

CWO Dennis "Can-Do" Kennedy
Soc Trang Tiger
Long Knife Pilot
Cancer
1993
Submitted by Pat Ross

Montgomery, Clarence    E-4
19 July 1992

Cpt. John Mac Cray
Crusader 36
Heart Attack
1991

Worthington, Reid G.   E-3
 23 August 1991

David Dacus
Doughboy
July 1990
Heart Attack

Anthony (Tony) Zimecki
Crusader Pilot
10 March, 1989
Airplane Crash in Titusville, Fl.

Joseph Green
Long Knife Door Gunner in 1969 & 70
  December 1988
Sent in by his son Jeremy

Kimmel, Robert F.   E-3
 6 September 1988

Carlos "Charlie" Nunez
Doughboy
Passed away in August 1988

Weedman, Kenneth L.  E-3
    February 1987

Jetter, Larry    CW-2
December 1986

Callis, William G. JR

CW2 William "Jinx" G. Callis, Jr.  died after his tour in Vietnam on 10/01/1984 at the age of 37 (Exact date not known.)
 He had fishing alone in the Gulf of Mexico. Boat was recovered without Callis's body.
Flight Class 68-521
Date of Birth 08/05/1947
Served in Vietnam with D/3/5 CAV in 69-70
This information was provided to VHPA by Samuel P. Munn

Martin, Roy A.   E-5
  January 1983

Johnston, Robert F.  WO-1
August 1981

Hartwick, Edward A.  E-5
  February 1975

Romanski, John H. WO-1
  February 1975

Springs, George W.   E-4
    September 1975

WO Thomas E. Boeshore
War Wagon pilot in 1968
Listed by VHPA as "Died after training in an auto accident" in the VHPA directory.
He and his wife died in a car wreck on their honeymoon in 1975.
 Submitted by JB West
&
Les "Same Same" Smith

Captain Jon Swanson
Served with D Troop on his first tour, 1966-67.
Doughboy Platoon Leader/Aviator
KIA in February 1971.
He was on his second tour and flying Scouts with B Troop 1/9th.
Shot down while supporting ARVNs in Cambodia.
Listed as BNR he was awarded the DSC.
On may 1, 2002 President George Bush Presented Jon's family with the Congressional Medal of Honor that he was awarded for the same action.
He was interred with his gunner/observer Staff sergeant Larry Harrison, at Arlington on May 3rd.
Representatives from the 3/5th Cavalry were present.
Read Comments by fellow 1/9th CAV Troopers.
Read comments by Black Knight who attended the interment.
Vern Delaware Returns MIA Bracelett.
A letter to President Bush from Kent Converse