Stories
Recollections, Pictures, Things,  Remembrances, and Thoughts

Many people have written their own personal histories about their time with C 2/5 Cav.  Others have sent pictures that are reminders of the way we lived.  Some stories are personal, while others are professional.  Please send your recollections or photos  to webmaster@tallcomanche.org.

Recollections are listed chronologically.

Things, Bits, & Pieces
A random collection of pictures of those objects we used on a daily basis.  Want to know how an Infantryman lived in the field?  Pictures of gear, Zippos, food, etc.   Return to Top of Page

The Rocket's Red Glare - A Story About Friendly Fire

In Dennis Henzi's story from December, 1966, there is yet another description of war - and how it mistakes are made that sometimes add to the horror.   Return to Top of Page

Amphibious Assault
Not all operations were heli-borne.  Don Jensen recounts his experience as an FNG in May, 1967, as the company made an amphibious assault in Binh Dinh Province.   Return to Top of Page

The Great Cherry Drink Caper
Not everything in a combat zone is life or death - sometimes it just seems that way for the average grunt.  Dennis Henzi's funny story about swiping the captain's favorite drink should bring a laugh to anybody who ever had to pull log duty.  Return to Top of Page

Great Trench of Bloody Hell
This article was written by Don Markham, C 2/5 Cav's commanding officer during the battle that cost more lives than any other during Charlie Company's time in Vietnam - the fight at Phu Ninh on March 11, 1967.  The article was published in Assembly, a magazine for alumni of the U. S. Military Academy.   Return to Top of Page.

Battle of March 11, 1967
Dennis Henzi's recollections of Phu Ninh, the bloodiest fire fight of the war for C 2/5 Cav. For those of you who have ever known beforehand that you were going into a fight, you will recognize his feelings.  This is a soldier's point of view - not a commander's. Return to Top of Page.

Letters to Home

Anthony Vicinanza  (Tony Vic) collected all the letters he wrote home from the time he landed at Bien Hoa and was assigned to the 1st Cav.  This is the way we thought and wrote when we were young and in combat.  Return to Top of Page.

Video - Operation Pegasus
This is actual video, originally shot by Ken Burington on a personal 8mm film camera.  There is no sound.  It begins with a fire mission by C Company's Mortar Platoon.  It covers a combat assault into LZ Tom and LZ Stud, and a fly over of both the old French Fort and Khe Sanh. in early April, 1968.  To view it, you will the free RealPlayer plug-in..  To see the sequenced list of shots, as well as a map of the area, go to April 1968.   Return to Top of Page

The Gypsies 
Bob Hutton served with Tall Comanche during 1968 and 1969.  Drafted in 1967, he began his tour as a rifleman while C 2/5 Cav was working out of LZ Jane, about 10 miles south of Quang Tri city in the extreme northern end of South Vietnam, sometime in March 1968.   Bob was one of the company RTOs by the time he finished his tour in April, 1969 in Tay Ninh Province.  He titled his unpublished book "Gypsies" because C 2/5 Cav moved so much.  This book is written about us by one of us.  The book is free.  All those who served with the company owe it to themselves to read this book.  You may contact Bob at TallComanc@aol.com.    Return to Top of Page

The Horrible Word
Having served as a medic with Company C, 2/5  Cavalry,  from March through December, 1968, Richard "Doc" Bovie writes  what it means to him to have been a combat medic.  Most former grunts will tell you the medics (known to everyone as "Doc") were true heroes.    Return to Top of Page

The Hill
The story of what happened on December 18^th through 20^th, 1968.  The primary narrator is Bob Hutton, with some additional comments by Richard "Doc" Bovie.  Material was also derived from the Tactical Journal 1SG Richard Soloway kept in the field.   Return to Top of Page

Battle of the Angel's Wing:  A Charlie Company Epilogue
Jay Phillips was the Squad Leader of 1^st Squad, 1^st Platoon.  In this story, Jay relates how it was to move at night to the rescue of two platoons of Company B, 2/5 Cav, after they were overrun by NVA troops just a stone's throw from the Cambodian border.  Most of the story is Jay's own recollection, but he meshes it closely with the official Combat After Action Report prepared by the 14^th Military History Detachment of the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile)  Return to Top of Page

Bodily Functions
Only a medic would think to write this story!  Richard "Doc" Bovie describes very well how some of the "less dainty" aspects of life are handled by the grunt.  "Doc" Bovie served with C 2/5 Cavalry from March 1968 to March 1969.   Return to Top of Page

The Conduct of a Combat Assault
Doug Young was with Company C 2/5 Cav  from April to August, 1969.  In this article he describes the complex operation known as the Charlie Alpha, or heli-borne combat assault.  Please be patient while this story downloads to your computer - it is a long file.  If you have additional information, please contact Doug at Comanche6@gmail.com.   

Artillerymen Who Supported Tall Comanche
This collection of four stories, each written by an artilleryman who humped the weeds with us, is written from the standpoint of what it was like to be a grunt  with an artillery MOS.  Charlie Dickey (1969-70), Doug Hendrixson (1969) and Dan Bertram (1969) all contributed to this article.  If you're a former C 2/5 Cav grunt - you must read this article.  Please be patient while this story downloads to your computer - it is a long file.  Return to Top of Page

Hey, 28.  Where the Hell Are We?

Doug Hendrixson was one of the artillery forward observers attached to C 2/5 Cav.  Knowing the company commander, CPT Douglas Young, couldn't navigate his way to the bathroom of his own house, Hendrixson describes how air-burst artillery was used to keep from being lost in the jungles of Tay Ninh Province in 1969.   Return to Top of Page

Attack on an NDP, June 19-21, 1969

Jerry "Doc" Watson was the Senior Medic on the night when C 2/5 Cav was collocated with B Company, and suffered a horrific mortar and B-40 attack that left three troopers dead, and many others wounded.  Of particular interest is the story about the severely wounded 3^rd Platoon Leader. Return to Top of Page

Field Diary of a Medic

Photos and transcript of a diary Jerry "Doc" Watson kept from May 23rd, 1969, until August 7th, 1969, when he was wounded.  Return to Top of Page

Getting Lost at Night
A short story by Mike Hayes telling of pulling guard while in the perimeter at night in the deep jungle of Tay Ninh Province in June, 1969.  But this story almost had a tragic ending.   Return to Top of Page

Attack of the North Vietnamese Air Force

Not really!  But Jerry "Doc" Watson's account of a bee attack in 1969 made it seem as though the bees were part of the NVA. Return to Top of Page

George Gobel visits Comanche
In July of 1969, comedian George Gobel went all the way out to LZ Mary to visit the troops.  Mike Hayes recalls the story.   Return to Top of Page

The Bravest Man I Ever Knew

SFC  Miguel "Pepe" Calzada was a true hero, and Charlie Dickey pays tribute to this soldier's soldier who risked his life for Charlie in October, 1969, when Charlie got hung up in a trip wire.  Return to Top of Page

The Cow in the Well
Not all Vietnam stories are guts and glory.  Terry Black tells this story of how his platoon saved a cow that had fallen in a well in August or September, 1969, in III Corps.   Return to Top of Page

A Few Minutes in the Life of a Forward Observer and a Cobra Pilot
Charlie Dickey was a Recon Sergeant with  Battery A, 1/77^th Artillery, and was attached to C 2/5 Cav.  Charlie's job was to direct artillery fire - both tube artillery and the Aerial Rocket Artillery from the 2^nd Battalion, 20^th Artillery - the famous Blue Max.  This amazing story takes place on October 6^th, 1969, but the culmination comes about many years later when Charlie found the Cobra pilot who saved his life.  Return to Top of Page

October 4-8, 1969 
Charlie Dickey wrote this article, with input from Mike Hayes, Dan Bertram, Don Bongle, and Brian Phipps.  It recounts a series of inter-related firefights.  It is interesting in that it does more than merely recount firefights - it tells of all the other things that go on during a fight, such as the overwhelming thirst, and having to wait inline to be Medevac'd.  Return to Top of Page

Attack on FSB Ike
C 2/5 Cav built LZ Ike in April 1969.  It was such an irritant to the NVA that it was attacked three times.  In this story, Dan Bertram recounts his personal recollections of the events of that last major attack on Ike in November, 1969.  Dan served as the Forward Observer attached to Comanche from Battery A, 1/77th Artillery.  Return to Top of Page

Attack on FSB Ike:  A Medic's Viewpoint
Vance "Doc" Gifford had been with the 2nd Battalion 5th Cavalry for all of two days when FSB Ike was hit in November, 1969.  He treated some of Charlie Company's wounded and saw the carnage around him.  Return to Top of Page

No Man's Land

Robert "Indian" Lisenby walked point with Charlie Company in 1970.  Like other point men, he was often the first to meet the enemy.  Like many of us, he has been haunted by his experiences.  He found release through talking about those experiences with others, by faith in God, and by writing this poem.   Return to Top of Page

Armed Forces Vietnam Network
This thirty minute recording of an AFVN show was taped in October of 1970.  Courtesy of Jeff Wilhoit, grunt and RTO with Company A , 3^rd Battalion, 1^st Infantry, 11^th Infantry Brigade, Americal Division.  To listen, you will need the free RealPlayer plug-in.    Return to Top of Page

The Last Days
Dolf Carlson was the last commanding officer of C 2/5 Cav in Vietnam.  In this piece, Dolf recalls what is was like from the time he assumed command in September 1971 until he took the guidon back to Ft. Hood, Texas, in April 1972.  Dolf pays tribute to the last KIA suffered by the company, and recalls the poignant memory of hearing of the fall of Saigon in 1975.  This is a long file - have patience while it downloads.   Return to Top of Page

Eddie Hancock's Surprise in the Newspaper
Eddie Hancock had quite a surprise gift on Veteran's Day, 1999.  The Tampa Tribune wrote a story about the gift.   Return to Top of Page

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Updated September 03, 2006