… traditions of things endured and things accomplished, such as regiments hand down forever… Col. John Thomason

The Vietnam War ranks among the most impactful conflicts in American history. As one of the U.S. Army’s premier armored formations, the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment performed a crucial role in the war. Serving as a hard-hitting mobile combat force, the Blackhorse took part in countless battles large and small during its years of service in Southeast Asia.

I spent four years as a Blackhorse trooper in the 1980s, and many of our senior NCOs and officers were sandwiches. Like all of our Vietnam veterans, they were respected and admired by we who served under them. The Blackhorse sandwiches carried our regiment’s memory of the war into our new home in Europe. With their institutional memory of fighting communism in Asia, they confronted a new opponent in Europe: the Warsaw Pact.

Over 25,000 troopers passed through the regiment’s ranks in Vietnam. ₁ The majority returned to civilian life after their Army service, but some chose to remain in the Army. Perhaps they were already career Soldiers, committed to the Army and its mission. Other combat veterans had joined the Army as either draftees or short-service enlistees and found a calling through service.

A select group of Blackhorse troopers went on to serve with the regiment again after the war, irreverently calling themselves “Blackhorse sandwiches.” While stationed in Europe, they wore the rearing stallion patch on both shoulders, hence the reference to sandwiches. In this story, I hope to relate something of their experiences.

Armored spearhead in Vietnam

The 11th ACR deployed to Vietnam in September 1966, and soon began operations in the III Corps Tactical Zone, patrolling the approaches north of Saigon. Planners in Vietnam had initially not foreseen a role for large armored formations, but the Blackhorse proved itself an agile and flexible formation, capable and hard-hitting. It excelled at the holy trinity of cavalry missions: reconnaissance, security, and economy of force. But the regiment did much more.

With a mounted tradition, the 11th ACR maintained the spirit and elan of horse cavalry. As a combined team with organic tanks, aviations, scouts, and artillery, the Blackhorse mastered the technique of developing and shaping the battle. With unmatched mobility and firepower, the regiment earned a hard-won reputation finding the decisive point in combat. A name was coined for the tactic, which caught on and is still the regimental credo:

Find the bastards, then pile on

Historian Shelby Stanton wrote of the 11th ACR’s performance in Vietnam: ₂

The 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment would become one of the Army’s finest units in Vietnam. It rapidly moved beyond conventional expectations regarding armor’s ability to cross difficult tropical terrain. Often parceled in squadron increments to avail larger commands of its precious armored firepower, the regiment would see action in many areas, with many different units. A series of excellent commanders and agressive flak-vested cavalrymen would ensure that the 11th ACR gained a combat reputation far out of proportion to their actual numbers. 

The project

In late 2020 I sent out a questionnaire to Blackhorse sandwiches asking about their time with the regiment in Vietnam and Germany. Don Snedeker is himself a Blackhorse sandwich and tireless keeper of the 11th ACR’s traditions. He provided me with extensive assistance in the project, for which I am grateful. These then, are the stories of a few of the many Blackhorse sandwiches who have served their country in peace and war.

The Platoon Sergeant

Gene Johnson is a retired NCO who served with the Blackhorse at Fort Meade, Md., in Vietnam and Germany. As a trooper with the Air Cavalry Troop, he was part of the original contingent who deployed to the war in 1966. He returned in 1970 for a second tour with Echo Troop. Gene’s final time with the regiment was from 1977–78, when he served as a platoon sergeant in Lima Troop.

About the differences between the Blackhorse regiment in Vietnam and Germany, Gene wrote:

[They were t]otally different armies with entirely different rules and requirements–both necessary in their own right. Night and day–no comparison– [In] Germany trooper[s,] were more professional on a daily basis. [In] Vietnam [we] had a nasty job to do and [were] completely up to the task.

While serving as a platoon sergeant in Germany, Gene found “[j]unior enlisted [Soldiers] seemed to care and want to talk about Vietnam. Senior officers and NCOs didn’t talk about it.” I asked Gene what made the 11th ACR such a special unit. He wrote: “[It was] leadership and [the] quality of troopers compared to the rest of the Army.

Gene is especially proud of his friendships with two of the regiment’s Medal of Honor recipients. He and Rodney Yano served together in the Air Cavalry Troop. Gene also served with Harold Fritz in both Vietnam and Fort Knox.

Battle 3

John Caldwell is a retired Lt. Gen. who spent a year with the regiment in Vietnam during 1969-70. He served as a platoon leader in Kilo Troop, as the air operations officer for 3rd Squadron, and the commander of Lima Troop. As a young armor officer, John actively sought an assignment with the 11th ACR. He told me he felt fortunate to be selected for the Blackhorse, since many qualified armor officers wanted to serve in the regiment:

The Blackhorse tradition is certainly important. From my view as a young officer, it was led by many of the finest leaders in our Army. I was Cavalry to the core and the power and versatility of the organic combined arms team within the regiment was what I wanted to be a part of and enhance.

On March 9, 1970, Lima Troop made contact with a battalion of NVA infantry: ₃

John’s Silver Star citation recorded his actions that day:

Captain Caldwell immediately led his troop in an assault upon the enemy, deploying his vehicle … to draw the enemy fire away from the other elements. Disregarding his own safety, [he] moved from vehicle to vehicle motivating and reassuring the members of his element. … [H]e directed his troop with exacting skill and leadership, taking every tactical advantage. In addition to utilizing his own unit’s maximum fire power, Captain Caldwell called in air strikes and rocket artillery to effectively subdue the enemy force.

John returned to serve as the 2nd Squadron operations officer in 1977-78. His Blackhorse combat patch, along with his Ranger tab, gave him instant credibility among the unit’s troopers. Returning to the regiment was like coming home:

I sought to be reassigned to the 11th ACR.  I was Cavalry at heart and this was the most challenging assignment for an Armor/Cavalry Officer.

John found significant differences between his two tours with the regiment, such as fields of fire, terrain, and the lethality of the threat. But he believed there were many similarities, including the power of combined arms, responsive firepower, and offensive reconnaissance.

“The 11th Cavalry has continued to produce senior Army leaders in the Officer and Non-Commissioned Officer ranks, disproportionate to the size of the regiment.” John Caldwell

Bandit 5

Jim Tankovich served as a platoon leader with Mike Company and India Troop in 1968. He returned to the regiment in 1980–82 as the executive officer of 3rd Squadron. In both of his tours, Jim found that the Blackhorse had tremendous esprit de corps with high reenlistment rates. Coming back to the regiment in Germany, John found that his combat patch gave him instant respect.

“When people feel that what they are doing is important they work harder to succeed.” Jim Tankovich

Bengal 6

Glenn Snodgrass spent three tours with the Blackhorse. In 1968–69 he served as a platoon leader and executive officer with Alpha Troop. During the Cold War, he served an additional four and 1/2 years with the regiment, culminating with an assignment as commander of 1st Squadron from July 1985 to July 1987. In retirement, Glenn has served as the president of the 11th Armored Cavalry Veterans of Vietnam and Cambodia. He continues to be active in the association.

I asked Glenn what made the Blackhorse so special to him as a Soldier. He wrote:

 This is impossible to answer – it’s is the whole package.  As with most successful things, it is all about the people (the troopers). My squadron won the international Boeselager NATO competition in 1987, [and was] the best in Germany in gunnery for both the M1 and the M3. [W]e were the first to figure out how to really shoot that weapon system, along with my Master Scout Bob McCord, who was tragically killed later as the CSM of Fort Benning. 

I loved the Spur Night Rides, and the Spur Calls, and Organization Days, and Fasching activities, the Dining-Ins, the Hail and Farewells, the Friday night Happy Hours. I was responsible for coordinating and running two Fulda Marathons, which brought runners from all over Germany. I loved Europe and running (not walking) Volksmarches every weekend and getting medals. 

“I even liked the middle of the night sirens which tested our reaction plans. I loved border duty and spen[t] many nights on OP Alpha with the troops.” Glenn Snodgrass

Few Blackhorse veterans of any era have spent so many years in close association with the 11th ACR:

Two key things happened which have made our regiment more highly regarded over the years. (1) The Blackhorse patch simply caught on with the troops, and became popular to others who worked with us in Vietnam – did not know at the time, but it was a brilliant decision. (2) And then-Colonel Patton’s “Find the Bastards and Pile On” also was picked up by the troops and has become a mantra. The 22 years on the border in Germany only solidified that reputation.  

My platoon sergeant

Staff Sgt. Richard Heaton was a Blackhorse sandwich and my platoon sergeant with Echo Troop from 1985 to 1987. As one of the first Bradley master gunners, he achieved a great deal of respect for his technical knowledge. Staff Sgt. Heaton possessed keen tactical ability and was a courageous Soldier. He earned the Soldier’s Medal while serving with India Troop on June 26, 1970:

… [A]s the troop was moving in a column formation, the troop commander’s vehicle suddenly struck a mine. The initial explosion mortally wounded the commander and seriously wounded the other crew members. At the same time it ignited secondary fires causing the ammunition in the vehicle to ignite. Immediately, Specialist Heaton jumped from his on vehicle and, completely disregarding his own personal safety, leaped upon the burning vehicle and pulled the wounded driver from the flaming driver’s compartment. Disregarding the serious burns he received, he then extinguished the fire on the burning vehicle.

As a young trooper in Staff Sgt. Heaton’s platoon, I sort of stood in awe of him. In addition to his skills, he was a hard man and a demanding leader. From my own experience as the son of a combat veteran, I saw much in Staff Sgt. Heaton that I recognized from living with my dad.

Both Soldiers bore the physical scars of their wars for the rest of their lives. My dad’s were on his legs and back, while Staff Sgt. Heaton’s face carried burn scars from that day when he jumped on top of a burning track. They had something else in common. Each suffered from PTSD, and inflicted their inner pain on others. Sadly, they were also plagued by flashbacks, which I witnessed as a boy with my dad, and as a Soldier with my platoon sergeant.

One night the troop moved out to our local training area for night exercises. We drew a a bunch of M49 trip flares, which the Army has used for decades. I was subbing for another trooper on Staff Sgt. Heaton’s track, so he told me to go with him to set some of these flares out.

It was the first time I’d ever seen one of these flares, which were made of magnesium. Unlike hand grenades, the trip flares activated immediately when the spoon flew off. To set the flare, you had to pull the safety pin almost all the way out, leaving just the end to hold the spoon in place.

Staff Sgt. Heaton said, “Pay attention because I’m only gonna show you once how to do this. If you fuck this up, you’re dead.” He emplaced a flare, and then gave me another to set up a few yards away. He watched me like a hawk while I worked, saying nothing. After I spooled out and secured the trip wire, he asked if I was finished. “Roger, sergeant!” He didn’t say a word, and we walked back to the platoon area. I must have done it right.

I can’t even calculate how much I’ve thought about Staff Sgt. Heaton in the decades since our service together. He passed away in 2014, but I had the chance to talk with him beforehand. We talked about the things as all old Soldiers. I stay in contact with many of my old battle buddies, so I caught my old platoon sergeant up on their doings

I told Richard about my oldest battle buddy, Command Sgt. Maj. Fred Morris, who was also in our platoon. It struck me when Richard told me how proud he was of us and how much we meant to him. It was a humbling experience for me, and when we said goodbye, I had a new (hopefully) understanding, and a bit of a lump in my throat. I feel fortunate that I had the chance talk to Richard, especially with the hindsight that he didn’t have long to live when I made contact with him.

Legacy

At the sharp end of combat in Vietnam, the Blackhorse sandwiches were part of a wartime Army under immense pressure. In war, everything but the essentials was burned away by the battlefield imperatives: shoot, move, and communicate. The 11th ACR wrote several chapters in the history of armor, earning fourteen campaign streamers and numerous prestigious unit awards. But there was a terrible price to be paid for all that devotion to duty: ₅

An entire American Army was sacrificed on the battlefield of Vietnam. When the war was finally over, the United States military had to rebuild a new volunteer army from the smallest shreds of its tattered remnants.

Once the regimental colors moved to Germany, the Blackhorse began the long road back. The Vietnam generation had won their spurs, and their legacy of supreme courage became a standard for those of us who followed. The troopers who wore the rearing stallion on both shoulders each owned a piece of that legacy, but they couldn’t rest on the laurels.

As one of the Army’s premier armored units in Europe, the 11th ACR set a blistering operational tempo. Our Vietnam veterans carried the spark during the hard years of rebuilding in the 1970s. They were a key part of the Army’s renaissance of the 1980s. We fielded cutting edge weapons and equipment, coupled with a new doctrine: AirLand Battle.

Our regimental history walked around right beside us in Germany during the years of the Cold War. It was NCOs like Gene Johnson, Richard Heaton, and J.J. Joyce who served as examples to us in the ranks. Officers such as John Caldwell, Jim Tankovich, and Glenn Snodgrass were our commanders, executive officers, and staff officers. Today, we are all Blackhorse brothers.

So many great Soldiers served as Blackhorse sandwiches and those who helped with this project are a tiny slice of a much larger part in our regimental story. It would be impossible to tell all their stories, so hopefully this is but a representative sampling. In closing, I believe it fitting that Trooper Gene Johnson has the final word:

“In Vietnam and Germany, they were the same proud cavalrymen.”

Allons forever,
Mark

Notes

1. The Blackhorse in Vietnam, page vii, by Donald Snedeker, Casemate Publishers, 2020.
2. The Rise and Fall of an American Army, page 76, by Shelby Stanton, Presidio Press, 1985.
3. Extracted from page seven of “Operations Report of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment ending 30 April 1970.” In Vietnam, Soldiers often used Claymore mines to cover trails and road junctions, but did not necessarily stay to maintain observation. These were called automatic ambushes.
4. Details about the NVA attack are found on page eleven of “Operations Report for the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment for the period ending 31 January 1970.”
5. Op. cit., Stanton, page 368.