“…Though some go curving down the trail
To seek a warmer scene.
No Trooper ever gets to Hell
Ere he’s emptied his canteen.
And so rides back to drink again
With friends at Fiddlers’ Green.”
The 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) is respected for its lore and insignia, its mottos “[America’s] First Team,” “The Ground You Stand Upon,” or “Live The Legend” and its traditions. The poem “Fiddler’s Green” is noteworthy within the 1st Cavalry Division; it acknowledges cavalry history and sacrifices of its members, according to the 1st Cavalry Division Association. It is said that all who have been assigned or attached to this unit are Cavalry Troopers regardless of their military occupation skill and therefore eligible to rest at Fiddler’s Green. The lyric’s origin may have been the 5th Royal Irish Lancers as far back as 1689. 1st and 7th CAV (Garryowen) affiliation with it was first published in a 1923 volume of the Cavalry Journal. According to the article, it was part of a campfire story told by Capt. Sammy Pearson in the Medicine Bow Mountains of Wyoming. Fiddler’s Green is listed sometimes as a poem and other times as a prayer. It is still used by modern cavalry units to memorialize the deceased. However, a survey of references yields that the verses are still common over time amongst nearly all American soldiers under arms. Wherever the emotion or poem may be or have been, from 1965 to 1971 the 1st Cavalry Division Airmobile became an Air Mobile structure as they deployed to Vietnam.
1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) Vietnam in Film and Legacy
Numerous film/video features and series involving this unit have been produced including: “Apocalypse Now,” “First Cavalry Airmobile Chopper Pilot,” “Sky Troopers,” “We Were Soldiers,” “The First Team,” “Stripes,” “Platoon,” “Battlezone/Vietnam War,” “Vietnam: We Were Heroes,” “The Air Mobility Team,” “The Long Road Home,” “1965 1st Cavalry Division Airmobile in Vietnam 26154,” “Vietnam in HD,” “A Flag Between Two Families,” and “Civil War” (2024). A particularly stirring depiction of the unit in action is at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eRKMbnhGv4. Not including essays, dissertations, diaries and articles, at least twenty-eight books of memoirs and history have been published about the outfit along with an unknown large number of online documentations and commentary. Since 1981 the official song of the 1st Cavalry Division is “Garryowen”. This Irish tune has been a part of Army history since 1867 when it was adopted by the 7th Cavalry Regiment. It is played at ceremonies and is a symbol of the division’s heritage. In 2023 a marble memorial for the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) was dedicated at Fort Cavazos. Army TWS lists 4,565 members who have served with the 1st Cavalry.
[Verse 5]
“Our hearts so stout have got us fame,
for soon ’tis known from whence we came,
where’re we go they dread the name,
of Garry Owen in glory.”
1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) Vietnam in Battle and Transformation
1 CAV is a combined arms unit among the most decorated combat divisions of the United States Army. It’s based at Fort Cavazos (aka Fort Hood 1942-2023), Texas. It was formed in 1921 and served during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, as well as the Stabilization Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in operations such as OIF, OEF, Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, and Operation Inherent Resolve. As of July 2023, the 1st Cavalry Division is subordinate to the III Armored Corps. The unit is unique in that it has served as a cavalry, infantry, air assault, and an armored Division during its existence.
The era of horse riding’s arrival on the battlefield had elapsed over twenty years ago. “Now, the evolution of military tactics and technology has bred a new steed made of steel… ” Appending the 1st Cavalry Division name with a new designation (Airmobile) sealed the unit’s focus and added to the way the Army transported and supported troops in the field.
In 1965, these new mounted troops began deploying to Camp Radcliff, located at An Khe, in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. The troopers would ride the UH-1 and UH-1-C gunship helicopters and be supplied with the CH-47 Chinook and CH-54 Skycrane helicopters. It would not be long before they entered battle near Pleiku at the Siege of Plei Me. That operation concluded with the Battle of Ia Drang, fourteen miles west, memorialized in the book by Joe Galloway “We Were Soldiers Once … and Young” which described the struggles of 450 men of the 7th Cavalry Regiment in what became the 1St Cavalry Division’s largest and most complex engagement to date. That year, the monthly base pay for a PFC was $99.37, and a 2Lt’s was $241.20. In four days at LZ X-Ray, LZ Albany, and LZ Columbus alone, Americans lost 234 men killed and over 250 wounded, while the North Vietnamese suffered more than 1,200 killed. In 2002, the battle was adapted for the big screen in the film “We Were Soldiers,” which also brought recognition to the leadership of then-Lt. Col. Hal Moore (Mel Gibson), Sgt. Maj. Basil Plumley (Sam Elliott), and war correspondent Joe Galloway (Barry Pepper). The 1st Cavalry Division earned a Presidential Unit Citation for their actions there.
Meaning Behind the Iconic Insignia
The famous shoulder sleeve insignia was originally approved on 3 January 1921, with several variations in colors of the bend and horse’s head to reflect subordinate elements of the division. The design was authorized for wear by all elements of the division on 11 December 1934, and previous authorization for variations was canceled. The insignia is worn subdued on field uniforms after experience in the Vietnam War, where the gold was too conspicuous. Yellow was chosen because it is the traditional cavalry color, and the horse’s head refers to the division’s original cavalry structure. Black, symbolic of iron, alludes to the transition to tanks and armor. The black diagonal stripe represents a sword baldric and is a mark of military honor; it also implies movement “up the field” and thus symbolizes aggressive elan and attack. The one diagonal bend and the one horse’s head also allude to the division’s numerical designation.
Air Mobility Takes the Lead in Vietnam
The newly designated 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) feverishly prepared for deployment to Vietnam. The movement of over 400 aircraft, nearly 16,000 personnel, and more than 1,600 vehicles, along with combat training, was a momentous task, accomplished in just eight weeks. The early model Chinooks needed 1,334 modifications for safety in flight, and the Hueys nearly 2,000. New armored seats were installed in the UH-1Ds, and the aircraft were relocated to two different staging areas: Brookley Air Force Base in Mobile, AL, and Mayport Naval Base near Jacksonville, FL. The USS Boxer and three Military Sea Transportation Service ships had been designated to move the division. All the Hueys were cocooned with Spraylat, and the other aircraft had separate preservative techniques applied. A crash effort was required to process all the aircraft aboard the four ships.
1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) Vietnam Became a Symbol of Helicopter Warfare
The first air cavalry unit to see duty in Vietnam was the 1st Air Cavalry Division. A total of five air cavalry squadrons operated in Vietnam, including the well-known 1st Squadron/9th Cavalry of the 1st Air Cavalry Division. Additionally, approximately 20 ACTs were part of various infantry, cavalry, and mechanized units. The 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) consisted of a variety of infantry, aviation, and support units.
These included three infantry brigades (1st, 2nd, and 3rd), the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, and various aviation and artillery units, including support such as the 1st Cavalry Division Sustainment Brigade, Headquarters Battalion (HHB), 15th Administration Company, 15th Medical Battalion, and other specialized companies and battalions. The last air cavalry troop departed Vietnam in early 1973. Thirty-one troopers were awarded the Medal of Honor, and 145 received the Distinguished Service Cross in addition to numerous Silver and Bronze Stars, along with many Purple Hearts and other recognitions.
The Division arrived in Vietnam on September 14, 1965, and became the first American unit to serve in all four tactical zones. Gen. Wm. Westmoreland, commander of U.S. forces in South Vietnam between 1964 and 1968, called helicopter air assault warfare “… the most innovative tactical development to emerge from the Vietnam War.” Nothing symbolized the American military effort in South Vietnam more than the helicopter in air assault mode, and no unit was more closely associated with that way of war than the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). What was striking and original about the division at its creation in 1965 was the unusually large number (428) of organic helicopters and their multiple functions. As an integral component in the division’s operations, helicopters delivered troops to the battle area to attack, reinforce or block and returned them to camp; supplied them in the field; carried out reconnaissance and screening missions; and provided aerial artillery for the division’s ground troops. Such activities represented a radical rethinking of the Army in combat, allowing planners to design actions in terms of vertical movement on the battlefield as well as along the more traditional two dimensions. In the aftermath of the Vietnam War, the 1st Cavalry Division was converted from an airmobile light infantry role into a triple-capabilities (TRICAP) division. The unit received an infusion of mechanized infantry and artillery to make it capable of missions needing three types of troops: armored, air mobility, and air cavalry. On 3 Jul 1965, young Troopers in the newly activated 1st Squadron, 9th Air Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), were standing in formation as their commander, Lt. Col. John Stockton, reviewed the troops from horseback, wearing his iconic, black Cav hat. “Little did we realize that 50 years plus a day that such a legendary organization was being born,” said retired Lt. Col. Billy Williams, a former member of the “Bullwhip Squadron” who spoke during a Fort Benning ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of the unit’s activation.
At the time, U.S. helicopter forces were divided into separate assault and air cavalry formations. The units performed slightly different types of missions. Assault helicopter companies were mainly responsible for attacking enemy ground targets, but they also conducted aerial resupply of troops, medical evacuation, and fire support for troops in contact with the enemy. Air cavalry missions typically consisted of making visual reconnaissance of enemy positions with several scout helicopters and helicopter gunships, then airlifting a platoon of infantry assigned to the air cavalry unit into battle against the enemy. Other air cavalry helicopters provided fire support to the assaulting platoon, much as assault helicopter companies provided support to ground units during combat assault operations. Air cavalry could also bring larger combat units into the battle if needed. In addition to such missions, air cavalry teams performed general reconnaissance missions and aerial assessment of bomb damage. A typical air cavalry squadron consisted of three air cavalry troops (ACTs) and a headquarters troop. An ACT contained a platoon of six to eight troops equipped with the new M16 rifle carried in helicopters called “slicks” (Bell UH-1 Iroquois, or “Huey,” helicopters, and a platoon of eight or nine gunship helicopters known as Cobras (Bell AH-1 Cobra helicopters). Each ACT also had a scout platoon of eight or nine light observation helicopters, commonly called “loaches” (Hughes OH-6 Cayuse helicopters). The mission of the unit, composed of experienced, specialized fighting units, was to continue the interdiction of enemy infiltration and supply routes in War Zone D, known as “Cav Country.” All aircraft carried insignia to indicate their battalion and company.
Major Operations and Battles in Vietnam
In 1966, the division attempted to root communist Viet Cong and PAVN out of Bình Định Province with Operation Masher, Operation Crazy Horse and Operation Thayer. 1967 was then spent conducting Operation Pershing, a large scale search and destroy operation of PAVN/VC base areas in II Corps in which 5,400 enemy soldiers were killed and 2,000 captured. In Operation Jeb Stuart, January 1968, the division moved north to Camp Evans, north of Hue and on to Landing Zones Sharon and Betty, south of Quang Tri City, all in the I Corps Tactical Zone. In the early morning hours of 31 Jan 1968, the largest battle of the Vietnam War, the Tet Offensive, was launched by 84,000 PAVN/VC soldiers across South Vietnam. In the division’s area of operation, PAVN/VC forces seized most of the city of Huế. As the 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, fought to cut off PAVN/VC reinforcements pouring into Huế, at Quảng Trị, five battalions, most from the 324th Division, attacked the city and LZ Betty (HQ 1st Brigade). To stop allied troops from intervening, three other PAVN/VC infantry battalions deployed as blocking forces, all supported by a 122mm-rocket battalion and two heavy-weapons companies armed with 82mm mortars and 75mm recoilless rifles. After intense fighting, 900 PAVN/VC soldiers were killed in and around Quảng Trị and LZ Betty. However, across South Vietnam, ca. 1,000 Americans, 2,100 South Vietnamese, 14,000 civilians, and 32,000 PAVN/VC were killed. In March 1968, the division shifted forces to LZ Stud, the staging area for Operation Pegasus, which aimed to break the siege of the Marines’ Khe Sanh Combat Base, the second-largest battle of the war. All three brigades participated in this airmobile operation, along with a Marine armor thrust. US Air Force B-52s alone dropped more than 75,000 tons of bombs on PAVN soldiers from the 304th and 325th Divisions encroaching the combat base in trenches.
In mid-May 1968, Operation Delaware ended. However, the division continued tactical operations in I Corps as well as local pacification and medical outreach programs to the local Vietnamese. In the autumn of 1968, the division relocated south to Phước Vĩnh Base Camp northeast of Saigon. In May 1970, the division participated in the Cambodian Incursion, withdrawing from Cambodia on 29 Jun. Thereafter, the division took a defensive posture while US troop withdrawals continued from Vietnam. On 29 April 1971, the bulk of the division was withdrawn to Fort Hood, Texas, but its 3rd Brigade remained as one of the final two major US ground combat units in Vietnam, departing on 29 June 1972. However, its 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry (est. 1866), Task Force Garry Owen, remained another two months. In the Vietnam War, the 1st Cavalry suffered more casualties than any other US Army Division: by one report, 5,444 men killed and 26,592 wounded in action. Nine are still listed as MIA.
Campaign streamers for this unit during Vietnam have been authorized as follows:
Defense 1965
Counteroffensive 1965-66
Counteroffensive, Phase II 1966-67
Counteroffensive, Phase III 1967-68
Tet Counteroffensive 1968
Counteroffensive, Phase IV 1968
Counteroffensive, Phase V 1968
Counteroffensive, Phase VI 1968-1969
Tet 69/Counteroffensive 1969
Summer–Fall 1969
Winter–Spring 1969-1970
Sanctuary Counteroffensive 1970
Counteroffensive, Phase VII 1970-1971
Honors, Losses, and Lasting Legacy
Unit decorations and awards for 1st Cavalry (Airmobile) include:
Presidential Unit Citation 1965
Army Valorous Unit Award 1970
Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry 1965-71
Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Unit Citation 1969-70
“Too many men had died bravely and heroically, while the men who had witnessed their deeds had also been killed… Acts of valor that, on other fields, on other days, would have been rewarded… were recognized only with a telegram saying,’The Secretary of the Army regrets…’ The same was true of our sister battalion, the 2nd of the 7th,” wrote LtGen Harold Moore (1922-2017). General H. Norman Schwarzkopf (1934-2012) said, “We Were Soldiers Once…and Young is a great book of military history, written the way military history should be written.” Since at least 1993, the book has been on the USMC Commandant’s Reading List for Career Level Enlisted. Yet… hot swirling winds of site and sight echo the mighty 1st Cavalry Division and (Airmobile) in SEA with unique solemnity – transforming their horses’ fight or flight instinct, summoning poignant meaning there and from other days or fields… perhaps then a fragrant letter from home.
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