H17th Cavalry
H Troop ACAVs moving through a broad green field in Vietnam beneath a cloud-filled sky

H Troop

17th Cavalry

Vietnam Veterans

198th Light Infantry Brigade · 23rd Americal Division

Chu Lai, Vietnam · LZ Bayonet

The young men. The tracks. The roads they traveled. The brothers they carried home in memory.

Read the balladWrite a letter home

H Troop ACAVs in the field · Vietnam

The road they shared

Their story

H Troop was armored cavalry: Headquarters and three line platoons, young crews moving aboard M113 ACAVs through I Corps. Their story lives in firsthand accounts, historical records, and the details—the heat, the dust, and the watch kept for one another.

Read & explore

Historical Resources

Independent histories, archives, and reference guides about H Troop and the wider Vietnam War experience.

First page of Paul Lefkowitz’s TET account in Vietnam NetworkFirsthand account · First Platoon · 1967–1968Paul and Bernie’s TET AdventureTrooper Paul Lefkowitz recalls the opening of the 1968 TET Offensive near LZ Bayonet and an encounter by Highway 1. Read both pages as published in Vietnam Network.Read Paul’s account →H Troop armored cavalry assault vehicles moving through the field in VietnamOrigins · organization · Vietnam serviceH Troop Unit HistoryFollow the troop from its cavalry lineage and 1967 formation at Fort Hood through its service as the armored reconnaissance element of the 198th Light Infantry Brigade.Read the unit history →Cover of the official Army history Combat Operations Staying the CourseOfficial U.S. Army history · reader’s guideThe 198th in Villard’s Army HistorySee what the 776-page history establishes about the 198th Brigade around Chu Lai—and its important limits as a source for H Troop.Review the findings →Military Heritage magazine cover featuring the article Mechanized Cavalry at LZ BayonetHistorical articleRiding with the H Troop “Hellraisers” in VietnamBy Josh Donohue, whose uncle Kenneth “Mim” Cromwell served from August 1968 to August 1969 aboard track 2/5, “Hippies Five,” in Second Platoon.Read the article ↗CherriesWriter Vietnam War website headerVietnam War glossary · CherriesWriterMilitary Slang during the Vietnam WarA guide to slang, abbreviations, and expressions used across the services during the Vietnam War. A general resource for veterans, families, and readers; not specific to H Troop.Explore the glossary ↗Original 1969 Army Reporter newspaper clipping mentioning H TroopOriginal scans · 15 unique recordsNewspapers & Press ClippingsBrowse contemporary clippings about H Troop, the 198th Light Infantry Brigade, the Americal Division, and the war around them.Browse the clippings →Blue shoulder patch of the 23rd Infantry Division, Americal, bearing the four stars of the Southern CrossSearchable compilation · 237 pagesH Troop Research ArchiveA searchable H/17 Cavalry compilation drawn from the larger Americal Division Veterans Association Historical Database—including Americal information-office articles, 198th Brigade newsletters, contemporary military newspapers, and selected operational records.Search the archive →
Wide aerial view of LZ Bayonet and the surrounding landscape in Vietnam
01

LZ Bayonet

Across Highway Number One from Chu Lai, the Hellcats built what home they could from timber, earth, and tent. Most days carried them beyond the wire.

M113 armored cavalry assault vehicles lined up at an H Troop base area in Vietnam
02

The tracks

Ten vehicles to a line platoon, crews crowded aboard armor that was loud, hot, and dangerously thin. Painted names made machines their own: Hard On, Hippies Five, and many others.

H Troop armored cavalry vehicles traveling along a paved road through the Vietnamese countryside
03

Roads remembered

Highway 1. Tra Bong Road. Dragon Valley. The Bantangan Peninsula. Familiar names where mines, ambushes, monsoon rain, and waiting tested every crew.

H Troop ACAVs on the road in Vietnam, believed to be Highway 1. Location, date, and crews have not yet been confirmed.
Members of H Troop gathered at LZ Bayonet in November 1968
ThenLZ Bayonet · November 1968
H Troop veterans gathered together outside the United States Capitol
NowWashington, D.C.
04

Brotherhood

Formed in war. Carried across a lifetime. The years changed them; the bond remained.

Names in the November 1968 photograph
Third row
Ronald Stroup, Charles Enz, “Pee Wee” Sherman, Billy Jackson, Lamar Glover, Jim Volker, Mike Mitchel, Doc Larry Kosloske, Byrd W. Goodson, Ralph Anderson, Ronnie Lee
Second row
Ralph Chaves, Ronaldo Soza, Mike Addy, Bill Conners, Shannon Raymer, David Broome, Billy Davis, Stan Edgeman, Richard Schafer, Ken Crowell
First row
Carlton McIntire, Levi Smith, Ronald Lacroix, Melvin Reed, Virgil Williams, Dennis Strobehn, Jerry Williams, Harvey Franklin

Remember · share · gather

Remember & Connect

Preserve what was carried home, honor what has been created since, and keep the H Troop family connected.

Tribute artwork honoring Carlos Guerrero and his H Troop service
Tributes

Portraits of Service

Visit the growing collection of tribute posters, portraits, photographs, poetry, and personal remembrances honoring H Troopers.

View all tributes →
02

Voices & Reflections

Words from troopers, families, and grateful visitors about service, memory, gratitude, and healing.

Explore this section ↓03

Letters Home

Wartime correspondence and letters written across the years to those who served and those remembered.

Explore this section ↓04

Reunions & Gatherings

Upcoming dates, gathering information, reunion memories, photographs, and recaps.

Explore this section ↓

The growing archive

Photographs

Explore H Troop’s history through the men, the places, and the moments they photographed.

A reproduced historical photograph of SSG Bandy and members of two ACAV crews after the Binh Son Bridge action

Combat History

Photographs connected to documented actions, with the dates and accounts that give them context.

2 photographs · View gallery →
Members of H Troop's 1st Platoon aboard two ACAVs in mountainous terrain

Life in the FieldNew

Patrols, roads, field positions, and everyday moments beyond the wire.

40 photographs · View gallery →
Tanks lined up at a Fort Hood firing range while soldiers observe from the foreground

Fort Hood — Basic TrainingNew

Training, tanks, and the firing range at Fort Hood before service in Vietnam.

7 photographs · View gallery →
Friends outside the tent

Brotherhood — The Men & The BondNew

The faces, friendships, and shared moments that made H Troop a brotherhood.

46 photographs · View gallery →
Track 2/4 — “Hard On”

The TracksNew

The armored vehicles H Troopers served aboard—their crews, markings, and life inside.

22 photographs · View gallery →
Annotated military map showing LZ bases and areas where H Troop operated in I Corps, Vietnam

Maps & Areas of OperationNew

Field maps preserving the landing zones, roads, and areas where H Troop operated.

3 photographs · View gallery →
H Troop ACAVs parked near huts in the motor pool at LZ Bayonet

LZ BayonetNew

The motor pool, bunkers, and familiar places around H Troop’s base.

16 photographs · View gallery →

Also explore Reunions & Gatherings and Tributes & Memorials.

Made in their honor

Tributes & Memorials

Posters, paintings, shadow boxes, medal displays, collections, plaques, and other objects can carry a story that an ordinary photograph cannot.

An educational presentation page explaining H Troop, 17th Cavalry and its guidon

A shadow box explained

SP4 Charles Alan Loomis

2nd Platoon · 1967–1968 · Track 2/4

This short presentation walks through the insignia, medals, campaign stars, and other objects represented in a family-made shadow box. It is included as an educational guide to what these pieces meant during Loomis’s Army service.

View the presentationDownload PDF

Symbols of service and remembrance

The H Troop Challenge Coin

The two faces of the H Troop challenge coin bring together the troop’s history, cavalry identity, combat service, and remembrance of its fallen. The accompanying legend explains the meaning of each symbol.

Front of the H Troop 17th Armored Cavalry challenge coin displayed in an open wooden case
H Troop challenge coin — troop side
Reverse of the H Troop challenge coin honoring the troop’s soldiers killed in action
H Troop challenge coin — remembrance side
Printed legend explaining the symbols and history represented on both sides of the H Troop challenge coin
The Coin’s SymbolsOpen the legend to read the complete explanation of the insignia, ribbons, dates, cavalry imagery, and tribute to the KIA troopers.

Objects created in remembrance

H Troop Memorabilia

Certificates, reunion pieces, commemorative objects, and later tributes that preserve the troop’s identity and shared history.

Unofficial 17th Cavalry Regiment commemorative certificate honoring H Troop service from October 1967 through October 1971
H Troop Commemorative CertificateAn unofficial commemorative certificate honoring the men of H Troop, 17th Cavalry, and their service in Vietnam from October 1967 through October 1971. Its design incorporates Americal Division, 198th Light Infantry Brigade, cavalry, and H Troop insignia.Military commemorative certificate · Not an official Army award documentView full certificate

Made during their tours

Wartime Art & Artifacts

Handmade signs, drawings, displays, and everyday objects preserve the humor, identity, and culture the troopers created around them in Vietnam.

Handmade H Troop 1st Platoon display marked Originals and Short Timers, surrounded by small photographs
1st Platoon “Originals” DisplayA handmade H Troop, 1st Platoon display featuring photographs and the words “Originals” and “Short Timers.” Created or displayed during the troop’s Vietnam service, 1967–1968. The creator, location, and exact date have not yet been identified.Paul Lefkowitz Collection · 1st Platoon
An unidentified H Trooper beside artwork marked H Troop 17 Cavalry Originals
H Troop “Originals” ArtworkAn unidentified H Trooper beside artwork marked “H Troop 17 Cav Originals.” His name, the artist, date, and location remain unidentified.Paul Lefkowitz Collection
Framed Vietnam service artwork depicting aircraft, helicopters, armored vehicles, troops, and scenes of war, surrounded by signatures
Vietnam Service ArtworkA framed Vietnam service montage depicting aircraft, helicopters, armored vehicles, troops, and scenes of war, surrounded by veterans’ signatures and inscriptions.Original photograph · Artist and history not yet identified
AI-assisted high-contrast interpretation of the framed Vietnam service artwork
A Closer Look at the ArtworkAn AI-assisted, high-contrast interpretation created from the original photograph to make the artist’s detailed rendering easier to see. Fine lettering and signatures may not reproduce exactly; refer to the original photograph for the historical record.Enhanced viewing copy · Not an archival replacement

The personal record of service

Things They Carried

Inspired by Tim O’Brien’s title, this collection preserves the objects H Troopers actually wore, packed, held, or carried in the field—and the stories that give those objects meaning.

Dog tags, P-38 can openers, maps, letters, photographs, lighters, patches, field gear, and other personal items are welcome. Every submission remains private until the memorial administrator reviews its identity, history, and caption.

  • Photograph the item in clear, natural light
  • Tell us who carried it and when
  • Explain how the item stayed with the veteran or family
  • Include uncertainty rather than guessing

Submit an item for review

From the collections

Objects That Came Home

The heavily worn pocket New Testament and Psalms carried by Al Loomis during his tour in Vietnam
Al Loomis’s Pocket BibleA pocket New Testament and Psalms carried by Charles Alan “Al” Loomis during his tour in Vietnam. Its worn cover, frayed edges, and ribbon marker remain visible.Loomis Family Collection · 2nd Platoon · 1967–1968
A worn Jewish Armed Forces prayer book inscribed Paul Lefkowitz, Vietnam, 1967–1968
Paul Lefkowitz’s Prayer BookA Prayer Book for Jewish Personnel in the Armed Forces of the United States, inscribed “Paul Lefkowitz — Vietnam 1967–1968.” The worn pages preserve a direct personal record of his service.Paul Lefkowitz Collection · 1st Platoon · 1967–1968

Share a tribute or collection

Tell us who or what it honors, who created or preserved it, and why it matters. Use the review form below for corrections or new material; carried-item photographs may be uploaded through the dedicated form above.

Suggest a tribute

Words carried forward

Voices & Reflections

A place for troopers, relatives, friends, and grateful visitors to speak about remembrance, gratitude, reunion, loss, and healing—in their own words.

“What would you like the men of H Troop—and their families—to know?”

Reflections remain private until reviewed. A contribution may be a memory, a thank-you, a family remembrance, or something that took years to find the words to say.

Write and submit

The troop still gathers

Reunions & Gatherings

Future reunion dates, locations, organizer information, important deadlines, and photographs from past gatherings will be collected here.

Date to be announcedOnline gathering
Coming together online · Zoom likely, to be confirmed

Watch Together, Remember Together

H Troop Tribute Video & Open Conversation

Troopers, families, and friends are invited to watch the H Troop tribute video together and join an open discussion about the music, daily life in Vietnam, shared memories, and the impact of the war more than 50 years later.

Recognize someone or somewhere in the video? Help us identify names, places, dates, and the stories behind the pictures so we can document them accurately for the historical record.

Come to share a memory, ask a question, or simply listen. Everyone in the H Troop family is welcome.

Stay tuned. The date, time, confirmed platform, and joining details will be posted here.

H Troop veterans gathered for a reunion in matching white shirts
Together againH Troop reunion group.Date, location, and individual identifications are welcomed.
Welcome Home display honoring H Troop, 17th Cavalry, with crossed cavalry sabers and service dates
Welcome HomeA display honoring H Troop, 17th Cavalry, photographed at a reunion or gathering.Date, location, and creator not yet identified — additional context is welcomed.
Missing Man Table at an H Troop reunion with an empty chair, inverted glass, lemon, red rose, candle, and POW MIA flag

A place kept for those not present

The Missing Man Table

At every H Troop reunion, this table makes absent comrades symbolically present. Also known as the POW/MIA or Fallen Comrade Table, it honors service members who were lost, missing, or held prisoner—and reminds those gathered that they are not forgotten.

Empty chair
The comrade who cannot join the gathering.
Inverted glass
The toast they cannot share.
Lemon
The bitterness of their fate.
Red rose & ribbon
Their lives, the loved ones who keep faith, and the determination to account for the missing.
White cloth
The purity of their intention in answering the call to serve.
Lighted candle
Hope, remembrance, and the wish for their return.
Photographed at an H Troop reunion · Date and location not yet identified
H Troop Fallen Soldier Battlefield Cross with Hell Cats helmet, rifle, dog tags, combat boots, Vietnam map, unit insignia, and H 17 cavalry guidon

A soldier represented by what remains

Fallen Soldier Battlefield Cross

The Battlefield Cross is a field memorial created from a fallen soldier’s equipment. The helmet and identification tags represent the soldier; the inverted rifle calls the unit to pause and pay tribute; and the combat boots symbolize the final march of the last battle.

This reunion display adapts that tradition for H Troop. Its “Hell Cats” helmet, Vietnam map, Americal Division and 198th Infantry Brigade insignia, and H Troop, 17th Cavalry guidon connect the memorial directly to the troop and its fallen comrades.

H Troop reunion display · Date, location, and creator not yet identified
Oct. 9–112026
Upcoming gathering · Mobile, Alabama

The Leonard P. Hedges Family
H Troop, 17th Cavalry Reunion

Holiday Inn Mobile–Downtown Historic District
The hotel is three level blocks from Mobile’s historic district and approximately a five-minute drive from USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park.

Reservations
251-694-0100 or 888-465-4329
Group rate
Request the group rate for “H Troop 17th Cav.”
Agenda
Available at the H Troop registration table.
Call for reservationsView original Facebook post ↗
Help keep this current

Have an update or another gathering?

Send confirmed dates, reservation details, photographs, or corrections for administrator review.

Submit reunion information

Watch · listen · remember

Films & Media

Films, testimony, music, and remembrance help later generations hear the voices behind the history.

Ballad film · Watch on YouTube

The Ballad of The Hellcats

The story of the Hellcats carried forward in words, music, and remembrance.

Featured tribute · Watch on YouTube

H Troop (17th Cav) Vietnam Veterans Tribute 2024 FINAL

A full tribute honoring the men, memories, and enduring bond of H Troop.

Family tribute · Watch on YouTube

H Troop — Mothers, Daughters, Wives

Honoring the women and families whose lives were forever part of the story.

Original song · Watch on YouTube

H Troop — “The Bond” by H Trooper (’67–’68) Bill Johnson

A musical tribute to the brotherhood that neither distance nor time can break.

The Wall That Heals · Watch on YouTube

Volunteer Talk with Allen McCabe

A longtime yellow-hat volunteer shares facts about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and reflects on the powerful impact the Wall can have on those who visit.

Reunion footage · Watch on YouTube

H Troop 2009 Reunion — Trooper Interviews

H Troopers share their memories and experiences at the 2009 reunion in interviews conducted by Korean War veteran A.J. Rosser.

Historic journey · Watch on YouTube

A Soldier’s Troopship Journey to Vietnam — 198th Light Infantry Brigade, 1967

A firsthand look at the 198th Light Infantry Brigade’s 1967 troopship journey to Vietnam.

Historical context

Tracks & Mechanized Operations

Outside footage included to help visitors understand the vehicles, terrain, and operating conditions—not as a record of H Troop itself.

ACAV evolution · Not H Troop footage

Using M113 APCs as Tanks? The Vietnam Story

An illustrated history of how South Vietnamese armored cavalry used the M113 as a fighting vehicle—and how that experience helped shape the American ACAV concept.

NOT H TROOP — Presented for historical context
Vehicle history · Not H Troop footage

Tracked Vehicles in Vietnam

Historical Vietnam footage showing tracked vehicles and mechanized operations similar to those familiar to H Troop crews. This footage does not depict H Troop.

NOT H TROOP — Presented for historical context

Related reading: Battle Order’s illustrated companion article provides additional background and identifies the video as a study of South Vietnam’s ARVN armored cavalry. Read the companion article ↗

Song lyricsRead the lyrics to “The Bond”

The Bond

By Bill Johnson

’Twas an old yellowed letter
Folded up in a case
Underneath that old bronze star
My daddy won
And mom would let me take it out
Read it to my friends
How proud I was of what my Daddy done

And all through the years
I’d never seen him shed a tear
Til one day in ’66 I got the call
And how surprised I was
I was gettin’ on the bus
I turned around and seen my daddy’s
Teardrops fall

He said son I always thought
Those battles that I fought
Would mean no son of mine
Would have to go
The war will always be
Part of the price for bein’ free
That’s a bond that only soldiers know

The war was over for him
But his battles still go on
Tho it happened so many years ago
He will salute you one in all
Those who answer the call
That’s a bond that only soldiers know

Now this story I relate
Tet offensive ’68
A band of brothers formed so long ago
And our 1st Sgt. pulled us through
Top we owe a lot to you
And that’s a bond all H-Troopers know

The war is over for us
But the battle still goes on
Tho it happened oh so many years ago
We stand and we’ll salute you all
Those who answer the call
That’s a bond that all H-Troopers know
That’s a bond that all H-Troopers know

54
A memorial display of 54 dog tags honoring the H Troop soldiers killed in action
Created by Kathy Thyne, wife of H Trooper Mike Thyne · 2nd Platoon · 1969–1970

In lasting memory

The fallen of H Troop

Fifty-four troopers were killed in action. Here they are remembered with the space, dignity, and permanence their sacrifice deserves—remembered by name and carried by their brothers.

“The names were spoken carefully, so none would disappear.”

Watch · remember

In Memoriam

Two films created to preserve the names, faces, and memory of the men who did not come home.

Fiddlers’ Green cavalry poem presented with H Troop, 17th Cavalry and Americal Division insignia

Traditional cavalry remembrance

Fiddlers’ Green

This traditional cavalry poem is read during the H Troop KIA — In Memoriam film. Open the image to read the complete verse and view its H Troop insignia.

Read the full poem ↗
In memoriam · Watch on YouTube

H Troop KIA — In Memoriam (Fiddler's Green)

Remembering the H Troop soldiers who gave their lives in Vietnam.

KIA tribute · Watch on YouTube

H Troop KIA Tribute

A solemn tribute preserving the names, faces, and sacrifice of the fallen.

H Troopers gathered beside an armored vehicle at base camp

Words carried forward

Letters Home

Words written during the war—and words that still need to be written.

H Troopers gathered at base camp, believed to be during mail call. Date, location, and individuals have not been confirmed.

Vietnam map annotated in red by Al Loomis’s parents using his letters home

Kept at home

Al Loomis’s Parents’ Map

Al Loomis’s parents kept this map in their home during his service in Vietnam, marking his locations using information from his letters home.

View the map
First page of Everett Echo Smith’s handwritten letter to Al Loomis

From one trooper to another

Everett “Echo” Smith to Al Loomis

Written after returning from Vietnam, this three-page letter shares news of home, recovery, and the bond between fellow troopers.

Read the letter · 3 pages

Write to the young man who served, the veteran he became, a brother who never came home, or someone whose service shaped your family.

Troopers and their families may also share wartime letters, postcards, diary entries, memories, and personal reflections connected to H Troop.

Some things were never said. Some deserve to be said again.

Letters are reviewed before publication to protect the dignity of the people remembered here.

The complete ballad from the narrated film

No One But Us

A Ballad of H Troop, 17th Cavalry

Written to preserve not only where they went and what they endured, but who they were to one another.

Open PDFDownload Word document

Help complete the story

Submit Photos & Items

Share a photograph, an item from your service or family collection, or a memory. Names, places, dates, and everyday details are all welcome.

Submit a photo below · Share an item and its story · Browse photos to add a comment

Comments appear beneath each photograph as soon as you post them. New photo and item submissions are reviewed before being added to the archive.

Add to the growing archive

Share a Photograph or Story

Troopers and families are invited to contribute original photographs, reunion pictures, artifacts, letters, and the memories that belong with them.

Photographs remain private until the administrator approves them. Approved submissions are then prepared, checked for duplicates, captioned carefully, and added to the appropriate collection.

  • One clear photograph per submission
  • Names, place, and approximate date when known
  • Platoon, track, or unit connection
  • Uncertainty is welcome—please do not guess

Submit a photograph

Another correction or idea?

Memories and identifications can now be shared directly beneath individual photographs. Use this private form for broader historical corrections, proposed additions, or questions about the site.

  • Correct a date, location, unit, or article
  • Add historical context to a section
  • Suggest new material or a collection
  • Ask a question that may require follow-up

These broader suggestions remain private. An email address is optional and will never be published.