










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
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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
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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)
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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.
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Olson,
Kenneth G. E-5
28
January 2002
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Haske,
Ronald L. E-5
24 September 2001
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Wigfall,
Abraham E-6
3 June 2001
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Griffin,
Joseph E. E-6
12 February 2001
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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
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Jacobs,
Robert N. E-5
9 May 2000
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Simon,
David F. E-3
21February 2000
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Traweek,
James L. E-4
23 July 1999
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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.
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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.
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Carstens,
Ronald E. E-5
22 July 1998
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Christopher,
James W. E-6
23 June 1997
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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
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Fiveash,
Nelson E-7
14 Jan 1996
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Joseph E. Robinson
War Wagon Crewchief, 70-71
Passed away in 1995 from Colon Cancer
Submitted by Rick Waite via Joe's Dad.
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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
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CWO Dennis "Can-Do"
Kennedy
Soc Trang Tiger
Long Knife Pilot
Cancer
1993
Submitted by Pat Ross
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Montgomery,
Clarence
E-4
19 July 1992
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Cpt. John Mac Cray
Crusader 36
Heart Attack
1991
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Worthington,
Reid G. E-3
23 August 1991
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David Dacus
Doughboy
July 1990
Heart Attack
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Anthony (Tony)
Zimecki
Crusader
Pilot
10 March, 1989
Airplane Crash in Titusville, Fl.
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Joseph Green
Long Knife Door Gunner in 1969 & 70
December 1988
Sent in by his son Jeremy
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Kimmel,
Robert F. E-3
6 September
1988
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Carlos "Charlie" Nunez
Doughboy
Passed away in August 1988
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Weedman,
Kenneth L. E-3
February
1987
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Jetter,
Larry
CW-2
December 1986

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
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Johnston,
Robert F. WO-1
August 1981
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Hartwick,
Edward A.
E-5
February 1975
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Romanski,
John H. WO-1
February 1975
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Springs,
George W. E-4
September
1975
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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
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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