Article transcription
LZ BAYONET (198th INF BDE IO) — One unit from the 198th Infantry Brigade recently brought home “the bacon” after a mission near Chu Lai. “The bacon” was Henrietta, a sow, and now the mascot of H Troop, 17th Cavalry.
It wasn’t exactly a “pig” deal the way First Lieutenant Stanley L. Bulger, McGee, Miss., executive officer of H Troop explained. “We are often called the ‘Hog Troop’ by other units in the 198th Brigade because we frequently return very dirty from a mission. Therefore, we chose a pig as our mascot.”
The sow was willing; she evidently was tired of being a “grunt” and now enjoys the life of the cavalry. She sleeps under Lieutenant Bulger’s bed, dines on favorites like rice and beans—and even eats pork when the troops have it. Furthermore Henrietta enjoys being the center of attraction and, so far, has not shown up on the duty roster.
Her name hasn’t always been Henrietta. “At first we called her our ‘DEROS pig,’” said the lieutenant, “because we were going to feast on ham and eggs when some of us DEROSed. Now that she has become such a morale booster, she would be hard on the stomach.”
Sergeant Earl C. Snyder Jr. from Plainville, Conn. explained that the enlisted men called her “the officer’s lady” for a while. “But then we decided that Henrietta would be more appropriate.”
Henrietta may or may not be showering the troop with good luck but she certainly is wallowing in it. And that’s better than what she used to wallow in.