I’m John Stenmo, but at one time I was “Doughboy 11” of D Troop’s Aero Rifle Platoon.  I served with the Aero-Rifles from their inception until I left Vietnam on January 11, 1968.  A lot of time has passed (36 years), but as for Vietnam is concerned, I believe my mind is still sharp.
     I was transferred to D Troop from 5/60 Infantry where I was an 11 Charlie.  I gotta tell you, I was pissed when they told me I was going to go through A.I.T. again.  This time as an 11 Bravo!  I raised hell, and ended up with my heels locked in front of Lt. Col. Hazzard who, as I remember, was a fair man.  I found out just exactly WHO was in charge!  I gotta tell you, it wasn’t me!  I decided to start soldiering and ended up riding with Col. Hazzard as his orderly a couple of times (I hated to pull guard).
     I also won a small trophy for being trainee of the cycle as an 11 Bravo. I guess after doing A.I.T. twice, you kind of get the hang of it!  I’m very proud of my time with the Aero-Rifles.
     We trained for Vietnam, with half of the platoon and the L.R.R.Ps taking the Jungle Operations Course in Panama.  We had a group graduate prior to sending us, so we knew what to expect.
     The first group consisted of N.C.Os Kelly, Keenan, Hart, Jensen, Vache, and Ames, as well as Lt. Swanson. When they returned, we went with a group headed by Lts. Stetson and Garrison.
    Most of the Division left for Vietnam around December ’66 and January ’67.
    We flew over and arrived February 2, 1967.
     Our C.O. Captain Kaler (second tour) and his driver Rodger Fortune met us in Long Binh and we convoyed to Bearcat. (No ammo for us.)
     Six days later, the Aero-Rifle Platoon found itself with HHC, A, B, and C Troop clearing Highway 13 being attached to the 1st Infantry Division.
    Our choppers were still en route.
    We pulled C.P. security, as well as ambushes and L.Ps.  Believe me, the place was crawling with Charlies, but they weren’t quite ready to fight.
     I remember one night on ambush when Charlie started probing, not quite knowing exactly just where we were.  Thank God for the 4.2 mortars we had registered.  I was sooo green and sooo glad to see the sunrise as well as one of the troops that picked us up that morning.
    Yes, I missed Bau Bang by about a week, but we sure as hell knew Charlie was in the area.  Don’t know what we would have done.  Everyday we moved; we dug in between the tracks and tanks, plus sent out ambushes and L.Ps.  I’d like to add that Jon Swanson was there too and dug in right along side of us.  I believe we stopped at Bau Bang on the way up to An Loc.  A Troop and the Artillery Battery were hit on the way back down.
     We were in the rubber trees at An Loc when our choppers arrived, flew us back to Bearcat, and we started doing our thing.  More patrolling, more ambushes, and some more platoon size recon.
     Of our N.C.Os, Sergeants Brown and Kelly had combat experience in Korea with the Marines.  They both wore the purple heart.  Another combat veteran of the Korean War was Sgt. Charlie Adams, U.S. Army.
     We were awarded our C.I.Bs at Nui Dat, the Australian base camp.  We all received our first award and Charlie Adams received a star on his.
 `About six of our platoon members were graduates of the Recondo School in Nha Trang.  I never got the chance to go.  Don’t know if I would have passed the swimming part.
    Our Platoon Sergeant, George Brown, was probably one of the toughest men I’ve run across in my life.  As mentioned before, when I reported to D Troop from 5/60 Infantry, Sgt. Brown was the C. Q.  I made the mistake of asking him how I could get out of the Cav.  He promptly took me outside the orderly room, slammed my ass up against the orderly room wall, and proceeded to let me know that HE was in charge.  Not me!
     I hadn’t seen him since 1967, and guess who was at the reunion in San Antonio?  Yup, I ran up to him and gave him a hug before he could slam me up against the nearest wall in front of all those people!  I’m just kidding.  Actually, we had become fellow soldiers and friends after the “Who’s in Charge” demonstration.
     I was glad to see our 1st Sergeant Darrell Benson there too!  I also found out that they had a good sense of humor, and that in the States and in Vietnam, they were only doing their jobs.
     We started out the “Long Knives” and later became the “Doughboys.”  We had some guys join us early on.  Ruben Albares (damn good pointman and later door gunner), Charles Mitchell, Neely, John Arrington, Norm Keller, Baldomar Gonzales, Cook, and Cranfill-- all good soldiers. I’m sorry if I left anyone out.
     Our medic was Paul Orvash, damned if he didn’t want to kill every prisoner we captured.
     Sergeants George Brown, Kelly, Keenan, Hart, Vache, and Mendenhall moved on to other outfits for one reason or another (mostly another stripe), and I ended up with the 1st squad.  I became “Doughboy 11.”
     Jon Swanson and Kent Converse were wounded some time in May, so we ended up getting a new platoon leader.  I have to say that he started off on the wrong foot with us and only lasted a few days.  I can’t really say what happened to him.  He had some big shoes to fill.  I/we believe that had he listened to us veterans of five months of combat operations, he might have lasted longer and became a good platoon leader, but he had ideas of his own.  After Lt. Harris, we had other platoon leaders who just seemed to be “passing through.”
     When we lost Jon Swanson, we received an influx of new people.  Most were good soldiers.  These men are the “Doughboys” as you know them today.  A few names I recall are:  Brown, Crews, Albano, Green, The Bookers, Hutchinson, Oglesby, Cool Daddy, and Sgt. West.  Unfortunately, through conversations with seasoned platoon members and our new leadership (my opinion), we experienced, what seemed to me to be an exodus of good platoon members, leave the infantry to become door gunners.  We lost Albares, Gonzales, Bryant, Ebersole, Halsey, Sanchez, and Templeton.
      I feel the need to mention that our 1st squad grenadier, Kenneth Zigglar, could put a round anywhere we needed it!
     Most remember Jon E. Swanson as a chopper pilot, but few remember him as a ground commander.   Jon Swanson was an Infantry lieutenant, Airborne Ranger, Jungle Expert, Recondo, as well as a fine Platoon Leader and pilot.
    Others who filled in as our platoon leader after he was wounded were Captain Brooks and Captain Lyons.  We ended up with a big, blonde lieutenant whose name I don’t recall, but turned out to be a pretty good platoon leader.
     Early on, we worked War Zone III (Iron Triangle, Lai Khe, Ben Cat, Phu Loi and ended up at An Loc).  From then on, we mostly worked out of Bearcat, the area east and southwest of Bearcat (Xuan Loc to Nui Dat), Rung Sat, Dong Tam, Tan An, Plain of Reeds, Nha Be and spent one day up near Phan Thiet.  We never knew where we were going, nor for how long!
     First Squad was on the ground first about 90% of the time, but this time working out of Firebase Brown during Akron III, Third Squad landed on the road plowed by the engineers and was hit by a command detonated mine.
     Lt. Harris was just back from recovery and was hit, as well as an old broken down staff sergeant who just wanted OUT.  He got his wish.  The “Million Dollar Wound.”  I guess Charlie was still pissed about the 1000 weapons cache that we found in the area.
     I have to tell you that I feel pretty guilty coming back without a scratch except for the ones in my head.  On the day I rotated home, I had turned all my gear in.  No rifle, no web gear, no nuthin’.  The Doughboys got hit. Three friends came in wounded.  I guess they found what they were supposed to find.  Can’t seem to shake that feeling of hopelessness.
     I just had to go back to the fiancée and try to patch things up.  Well, I guess you all know the answer to that one.  The Big John Deere letter.  Jody, Sancho, and well, you know.
     I got home and received a letter from Lloyd “Jim Beam” Jensen.  He told me about the platoon.  The Bookers and a few others were ambushed and killed.
     God Bless ‘em.  I know there’s a hell of a lot more and I’m feeling pretty selfish talking about myself.
 
     A couple of things:
     Yes, I was there when W.O. Brown took that fatal round in Oct. 1967.
     Yes, I was there when Pops and the other guy were wounded at Dong Tam by mortars.  (May have been “not so friendly fire.”)
     Yes, I was on the skid when the slick I was in broke in two because the tail rotor was dug into the dike.
     There’s much more, and I could say YES to a lot of things, some good, and quite a few bad.
     One thing I will say yes to is that if I was asked if I was proud to be a member of the Aero-Rifle Platoon, the answer, without a question, would be YES.  How about the Black Knights?  YES.
     For the most part, I’m proud to have served with Delta Troop 3/5 Cav, 9th Infantry Division.
     I salute the Aero-Rifle Platoon, Doughboys, Black Knights, and will ALWAYS honor those whose names are on the wall.
                                YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN.

                                                                                                 Sgt. John A. Stenmo
                                                                                                     “Doughboy 11”
                                                                                                                                    B.I.A.