DURING OUR RECENT REUNION WE PAID A VISIT TO THE 2/17TH CAVALRY MUSEUM. WHILE EXPLORING THE NOOKS AND CRANNIES WE FOUND A BOX OF ROUND TUITS. SINCE THE MODERN DAY CAVALRY DID NOT RECOGNIZE HOW VALUABLE THESE OBJECTS WERE AND SINCE THEY WERE TAKING UP SPACE IN THEIR SMALL DISPLAY ROOM THEY WERE GLAD TO GIVE THEM TO US. WE HAD JUST ENOUGH TO INCLUDE ONE IN EACH "GAZETTE". HOLD ON TO YOUR ROUND TUIT BECAUSE IN ANOTHER SECTION WE EXPLAIN TO YOU WHAT IT IS USED FOR AND HOW VALUABLE IT IS. (Check your Banshee Gazette which includes many items found elsewhere on our website and your personal Round Tuit)
We need your input by way of letters, poems, stories, pictures, or any form that is acceptable in print.
This publication will only be as good as you make it.
Dear Fellow Banshees,
As of the printing of this issue, we have located or tentatively located almost 700 people that served with B Troop 17th Cavalry or B Troop 2/17th Cavalry Regiment at one time or another. Out of these 700 former members we have had 90 people join our association as regular members over the past year. A yearly membership is good for one (1) year from the date your membership started, so those of you who joined right after the Association was formed, your 1999 dues are due now.
What do you get for your dues? You receive an updated roster of those people that we have located or tentatively located, including their address and phone numbers if they are available. You also receive a roster of unlocated members that we have not been able to locate as of yet. These lists change daily and we keep you up to date through the "Gazette." Along with the rosters, you receive a copy of the Association By-laws, a yearly membership card and a "B Troop 2/17th Cavalry Association" bumper sticker.
No we come to the part where we tell you how important or valuable the "Round Tuit" that we have included in the Gazette, really is. Since we think that the Association and the business it conducts; putting former friends in touch, coordinating reunions, and publishing our "Gazette", are valuable and important functions that we cannot do it with out your financial support by paying your yearly dues. The " Round Tuit" is for those of you that say "I’ll renew my dues when I get around to it." Now you don’t have any excuse because we have supplied the "Round Tuit" to you.
If you have any questions as to when your membership expires please contact Randy Kunkleman.
Jim Matthews
October 1, 2, and 3rd have been chosen as the dates for our 1999 Reunion to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Officers are working on Hotels and we should have further information by March.
Vegas should be pretty nice in October and there will be plenty to do.
For those of you who have not attended past reunions be advised our reunions are family oriented. So, plan on bringing your whole family.
I’m sure the ladies will find plenty of shopping available, kids and grandchildren will have plenty of attractions to keep them busy.
We look forward to seeing you and your family.
If you did not make the Reunion you can still order a shirt. The shirts are really nice with the Cav Flag and 2/17th on it.
The shirts are $35.00 each. Jim will order the shirts and send them out in late January or early February.
The bumper stickers are really nice and are available for $3.00 each.
Proceeds from the sales benefit the Association.
Be sure and order bumper stickers for all your cars. A note to pilots, you can also affix them to your aircraft.
Pleas send Orders to:
Jim Matthews
6743 Madison Avenue
West Mifflin, PA 15122
We encourage you to join the B Troop 2/17th Cavalry Association. The membership dues are currently being used for the cost of running the Association. This includes the publishing and mailing of the Banshee Gazette.
We hope to use future dues to enhance our Reunions, build our own historical archives, and possibly provide scholarships.
If you cannot afford the membership dues let us know. No one that wants to belong to the Association will be left out.
Send in those Applications!
In late 1968 I was sent to Robert Gray Air Field to train with a unit then called F-Troop.
Arriving there I learned we had two combat veterans, Judson Smith and Rich Fleming. I knew to watch and listen to them if I was to make it back from NAM.
I learned well because they taught me well. When we got to NAM I was still learning. Rich Fleming told me if I wanted to go home alive to pay attention.
Rich felt it was his job to get us home alive. On June 2nd 1969 we were ambushed, took heavy fire and heavy casualties. Rich was wounded badly on both legs. I was Capt. Burk’s radio man, I took off my radio and crawled to Fleming. Rich was bleeding profusely. I tried to move up and knock out enemy bunkers, so we could get out of this mess. I crawled back to Rich. As I layed with him, the shells off the gunships (cobras) started to rain on us. I got my helmet and covered Richs’ legs wounds so the hot shells would not cause more damage, and I covered his head with my body. The first chance I had, I crawled up to Brech, who was killed, and cut off his radio. I went back to Rich and radioed in the situation. Capt. Burke told me to pull back, Rich heard me say "I Can’t leave him here!" Fleming then asked me if I was going to leave him there and I told him "No way!" I owed my life to him for teaching me how to fight in combat.
Well the story goes on.
When we met at the reunion in Kentucky we all had a good time. The last day, I saw Fleming as we were getting ready to go home, I told Fleming "I love you Rich." He told me "watch your language," and he would see me next year in Vegas.
On October 3rd I got a message to call Linda Fleming, Richs’ sister-in-law. I called her the morning of October 4th. Linda gave me the very sad news, Rich had passed away early October 3rd, 1998 from heart failure. It was like someone had sucked the life out of me. Rich was the most caring and kind man I know. I had the honor to meet his wife, his brother Ben, sister-in-law Linda, and a couple of his nieces, a very caring family.
My condolence to his family. We will all miss him.
Jr. Baltazar