I served with HHT 3/17th in Phu Loi and redeployed with them in '72 to Hawaii. At that time we were attached to the 1st Aviation Brigade. LTC Dugan was the squadron CO and a likable Major we all called "Dancing Bear" was the XO. I think Capt. Guiterez from Arizona was the HHT CO. As best I can remember, it was Headquarters Troop, C Troop, and Delta Troop that left together. HHT and Delta troops left Phu Loi together and met up with Charlie Troop at Camp Alpha on Ton Son Nhut Air Base in Saigon. A Troop was in Lai Khe. I'm not sure what happened to them or B Troop.

Camp Alpha was the processing center for arrivals and departures. We stayed there three or four days where we took over the EM/Officers club and got roaring drunk and formed into loud and unruly mobs. We then wandered around the compound shouting "If you ain't Cav, you ain't shit" and other football-like pronouncements. We even cussed out the camp CO (as a mob) for closing down the club. I can still recall him standing on the second floor walkway of the wooden barracks there trying to quell the drunken sea of black and white Cav hats wobbling below him. What was he going to do, send us to Vietnam?

Mightily hungover, we departed RVN on April 1, 1972 (a date many of us at the time thought quite appropriate) aboard an Air Force C-141 with all of the seats facing to the back. Our stewardess was a snippy, ugly, skinny, male Air Force Master Sergeant. We mentioned that to him several times, but he wasn't amused. We made a stopover at Clark Air Base in the Philippines where we heard on the radio that NVA/VC were rocketing the hell out of Ton Son Nhut. That was also the day that the Quang Tri Province offensive started. We got lucky.

We arrived at the air base in Hawaii on the same day we left Vietnam, following the sun, and were put on buses to Schofield Barracks. Leaving the entrance to the air base we were met with a sizable crowd of hippies in full regalia protesting the war. We all stood up and hooted and hollered at them as we passed, then all grew quiet and contemplative as we tried to figure out if we were shouting against them, or agreeing with them.

It was a weekend when we arrived, so there was no one at Schofield working to process us through and give us leave. We were given billets and told to report on Monday morning for processing. We stowed our duffels and headed en masse over to the huge post PX to buy some civies and such. We were all still wearing our dusty cav hats and faded-nearly-to-white jungle fatigues. As we approached the entrance to the PX, a Volkswagen passed us and backfired. We all dove for the dirt. We were met with perplexed stares from all those around us as we stood and sheepishly dusted ourselves off.

SP/4 Mark Aaron
HHT 3/17th Air Cav
Phu Loi, RVN 71-72

WALKING POINT - FIREFLY - ILLUM - CHU LAI - TUNNEL RAT - RPG-7 - U MINH FOREST - BEEHIVE - ZAP - A TEAM - RIVERINE - LEATHERNECK SQUARE - STARLIGHT - "KILLING FOR PEACE IS LIKE FUCKING FOR VIRGINITY" - PSP - RECON BY FIRE - MEDEVAC - CHIEU HOI - AN KHE - NUOC MAM - DOOR GUNNER - AMBUSH - ARIZONA TERRITORY - PSYOPS - JESUS FACTOR - C4 - VANG PAO - YANKEE STATION - HEARTS AND MINDS - HANOI HILTON - MAAG VIETNAM - RUNG SAT - LON NOL - ELEVEN BRAVO - HAPPY HOUR - FIRE SUPPORT BASE - LOACH - DEROS - ANGLICO - MAIN FORCE - CHICKENPLATE - HOT LZ - INCOMING - ONE STEPPER - CORDS - FREEDOM BIRD - LBJ - CRISPY CRITTERS - COSVN - 122MM - MIKE FORCE - SHORTTIMER CALENDAR - LEW WALT - LAM SON 719 - ROK - SANDY - PHOENIX PROGRAM - ROME PLOW - ARC LIGHT - NGUYEN NGOC LOAN - BOOM BOOM - NUMBER ONE - THE ROCK - "I'M SO SHORT, I COULD GET HURT JUMPING OFF A DIME." - BODY BAG - WORLD AIRWAYS - MONTAGNARD - WHITE STAR - HUEY - ZIP - CANISTER - BELIEVER - FORCE RECON - CIB - BIG MINH - DOUGHNUT DOLLIES - H.E. ON THE DECK - INDIAN COUNTRY - MEKONG - AIR AMERICA - VIETNAMIZATION - ACAV - POP SMOKE - FREE FIRE ZONE - LAW - RULES OF ENGAGEMENT - SAIGON TEA - MARTHA RAYE - THE BLUE MAX - TOE POPPER - CHARLIE - LAOS - "IF YOU AIN'T CAV, YOU AIN'T SHIT." - TRIPWIRE - CONCERTINA - SEALS - MONITOR - WESTY - CLAYMORE - CAN THO - SEARCH AND DESTROY - PENTAGON EAST - RUFF PUFF - GREEN TRACERS - TET - "33" - FNG - STANO - MIKE BOAT - IRON TRIANGLE - RTO - SLICK - NGUYEN VAN THIEU - ONTOS - MACV - BODY COUNT - SIN LOI - SHIT BURNER - LRRP - LIBERTY BRIDGE - PSYCHEDELIC COOKIE - TIGER STRIPES - LIFER - BUTTER BAR - CHERRY - WAR ZONE C - ROLLING THUNDER - "TAKING FRIENDLY FIRE, RETURNING SAME WITH SMILE" - SAMPAN - AMBUSH - WASTE - M16 - THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL - TURTLE - TONKIN GULF YACHT CLUB - POL POT - GOING BACK TO THE WORLD - CA MAU - RECONDO - ROUND EYES - RED RIVER - III MAF - FIRE FOR EFFECT - KIT CARSON SCOUT - USARV - KILLER JUNIOR - NGO DINH DIEM - NUMBER 10 - INSTANT LZ - KIA - P-38 - COBRA - LONG BINH - RECON TEAM - M14 - THE GREEN BERETS - BRING SMOKE - SAIGON - BOONIE RAT - HEAVY FIRE TEAM - HERRINGBONE - SAPPER - REMF - AK-47 - WHITE MICE - MASH - CAMP ALPHA - GREEN HORNET - NHA TRANG - PUNJI STAKE - U.S.S. NEW JERSEY - BIG ORANGE PILL - 2.71" FFAR - "LIMA CHARLIE, HOTEL MIKE?" - AGENT ORANGE - HAPPY VALLEY - NLF - STRATEGIC HAMLET - CONFIRMED KILL - PRU - ADVISOR - RAZOR WIRE - QUI NHON - THE BUSH - NAILS - "RELAX, YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO DIE ALL TENSED UP, WOULD YOU?" - LIGHT 'EM UP - THUMPER - STEAM AND CREAM - HOOTCH - JUNGLE BOOT - B-40 - MEDCAP - PINK TEAM - DINKY DAU - CIDG - RANCH HAND - HO CHI MINH TRAIL - H&I - PLAIN OF REEDS - PIASTERS - GRUNTS - SNAKE - CAM RANH BAY - SAT CONG - SMALL WHITE PILL - SPECTRE - WATER BUFFALO - SNIPER - THUD - BROWN WATER NAVY - SONG HA - "DINKS IN THE WIRE" - GREASE - MECHANICAL AMBUSH - GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM! - MARS - TRIP FLARE - USO - FREEDOM HILL - ABRAMS - SCOUT DOG - DALAT - IN-COUNTRY R&R - VULCAN - AIR ASSAULT - DUSTER - MIA'S - BIEN HOA - SEARCH AND RESCUE - TRACK - ALMAR - STRAC - NORODOM SIHANOUK - SKS - HAMBURGER HILL - LAAGER - SPAD - JOHN PAUL VANN - IGLOO WHITE - COMMAND AND CONTROL - GENERAL GIAP - K-50 - IRON HAND - MARCH 29, 1973 - HOI CHANH - PRAIRIE FIRE - ARVN - TONKIN - HUNTER KILLER - KHE SANH - NGUYEN CAO KY - PT-76 - MARKET TIME - IA DRANG VALLEY - SOG - TIGER DIVISION - EOD - I CORPS - LANG VEI - BUNKER - SMART BOMBS - FIRECRACKER - CONCERTINA - CAMBODIA - THE PINK LINE - FILLING SANDBAGS - J's - VUNG TAU - QC - RACH GIA - LINEBACKER - BOB HOPE - FORTIFIED HAMLET - VIET CONG HUNTING CLUB - DELTA - II CORPS - MOBILE STRIKE FORCE - C-1234 - HOTEL CARAVELLE - TAY NINH - CIT - ROCKET POCKET - PARROT'S BEAK - MPC - SWEEP LINE - BLACK VIRGIN MOUNTAIN - KIWIS - THE TONKIN GULF RESOLUTION - M-48 - PUFF THE MAGIC DRAGON - DMZ - KIA - AUSSIES - DI DI MAU - PROJECT BRIGHT LIGHT - 40 MIKE MIKE - MAMA SAN - BLACK PONY - CYCLO - COUNTERPART - M26 - LONG HAI - C. TUNER JOY - POW's - PBR - SON TAY - III CORPS - FAC - RANGER - JUNCTION CITY - DANANG - SUNDRY PACK - SPOOKY - "ONLY WE CAN PREVENT FORESTS" - XM 21 - MICHELIN RUBBER PLANTATION - 82MM - MONKEY MOUNTAIN - M60 - CEDAR FALLS - TAN SON NHUT - BEAUCOUP BUTTERFLY - IV CORPS - CHEAP CHARLIE - MINIGUN - THE 1ST TEAM - CROW'S NEST - LORAN - APRIL 30, 1975 - "YOU SOUVENIR ME TEA?" - CHOLON PX - RIVER RAT - AIRMOBILE - RHADE - EASTER OFFENSIVE - NASTY BOAT - BLUE DRAGON BRIGADE - DEDICATED TO THE 58,202