Gray Horse Troop

Gray Horse Troop is the story of the 5th Battalion 7th U.S. Cavalry in Vietnam in 1967-68, and also in Iraq in the spring of 2005. This unit traces its heritage back to the Indian Wars in the 1870s, when it was E Troop, 7th U.S. Cavalry Regiment. E Troop stood out sharply from the others units on the battlefield by being mounted on dapple gray horses. In the fall of 1967, the 5/7th Cav fought numerous intense battles in the deadly Que Son Valley south of Danang. They moved north of Hue to reinforce the Marines just three days before the onset of the North Vietnamese Army's Tet Offensive, and played a vital role in the Battle of Hue. In April the battalion was the lead air-assault unit for the 1st Cavalry Division in their move to eliminate the siege of Khe Sanh, and then led the division's massive air-assault into the infamous A Shau Valley. The author describes these major operations at the peak of the Vietnam War from his unique perspective as the battalion operations officer, and provides the big picture that surviving veterans could not get from fighting for survival down at squad level. Gray Horse Troop is a personal account of what the author saw, remembered, and further researched; which he writes about with traces of wit, political incorrectness, and cynicism. Being invited to ride with 5/7th Cav again in Iraq in 2005 provides the catalysts for recalling the various Vietnam stories. He compares service in 5/7th Cav during the two wars, thirty-seven years apart, and gives a glimpse of being an infantry and cavalry officer throughout the hottest periods of the Cold War. His memories as a lieutenant in the 101st Airborne Division's elite reconnaissance company during the Cuban Missile Crisis are included, along with his command of a rifle company in Berlin during the time of President Kennedy's historic visit. In Gray Horse Troop, the author tells the story of the others in the unit, honoring the men who served in this storied battalion. He writes in simple language, directed beyond the military reader to all who are interested in the Cold War Era.