2nd Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment

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L-R back row: 1st SGT Unzicker L Company Ranger, 1st SGT Neal B Trp, 1st SGT Kelp A Trp, 1st SGT Hopersburger Sqd 1st SGT Price B Trp, SSG Carderfield B Trp, SGT Welleps A Trp, 1st SGT Anderson C Trp, MSGT Harris Sqd Maint, 1st SGT Bucannon D Trp L-R middle row: Cpt. Dale D TOC, Cpt. Dance S-1, Cpt. Black S-2, Cpt. Mason S-3, Cpt. Williams S-4, Lt. Holland S-5, Cpt. Stauficker Commo, Cpt. Osborn Chaplin, Cpt. Victor Sqd. Maint., Lt. Montalto HHT Executive Officer L-R front row:Cpt. Ohle L Company Ranger, Cpt. Neese HHT, Major Clark A Trp, CSM Schreick 2/17 Squadron CSM, LTC Molinelli Commanding Officer 2/17 Cavalry, Major Jones Sqd. Executive Officer, Cpt. Rosenthal B Trp, Major Newman C Trp, Cpt Thomas D Trp Image courtesy of Mitch Costner of L Company, Randy White & Jim Newman
Headquarters, 2/17th Air Cav at Camp Eagle ca. 1971 Image courtesy of Doug Kibbey	HQ Troop
333rd Trans Detachment, 2/17 Cav	"Winged Spur of 17th Cav. patch was an "unauthorized" item (unit crests were authorized) commisioned by 2/17th Cav. C.O., the late LTC Archie Rider. Following his precipitous departure from Vietnam, this patch was on display at a Camp Eagle "d---" shop where the maker declined to sell it while waiting for LTC Rider to claim it. When informed he was no longer in-country, it's status immediately changed to "For Sale" & it was thus acquired. It resides on my jacket along side the unusual Dirty Delta "spade" patch from D Trp. 2/17th to this day" - Doug Kibbey. Image courtesy of Doug Kibbey
Col. Archie A. Rider (LTC, as CO of 2/17th Cav, Mar-Oct. '71) waits for us at Fiddlers' Green, having passed away in 1998. The colorful and aggressive CO retired in 1985 with 30 years service. After his 4th tour in RVN, he spent most of the �70�s at the Pentagon, then as Prof. of Military Science and head of the University's ROTC department at Jacksonville State University in Alabama from June �80 - October �84 when he reported as Special Assistant to the Commanding General of the Third ROTC Region. An Army review board found that LTC Rider (as well as his XO, Maj. Dick Albrecht) was unjustly relieved of command in late Oct. �71 following a lengthy & acrimonious relationship with a general officer in Divisional command to whom LTC Rider eventually found himself reporting. Various issues, some preceding this direct reporting relationship, included but were not limited to, the following: (1.) LTC Rider�s principled refusal to withdraw from a forward position in mid-operation which he had been granted authority to occupy, when such action would have placed at unacceptable risk the lives of ~200 men. (2.) His respectfully declining of a request (then, an order), to recover bodies from a downed aircraft in Laos where he (but not the officer responsible for the aircraft�s presence there) had the authority to operate, but when such action would have directly conflicted with directions from higher authority NOT to mount operations for the recovery of bodies or aircraft across the border. (3.) His refusal to replace his XO (Maj. Albrecht) for unjustifiable reasons . LTC Rider and Maj. Albrecht were shipped out virtually overnight, an action that so angered his troops that Maj. Langley Chavis (acting CO & successor XO) was advised to visit & pre-empt D Troop (the aero-rifle ground troop) who were �saddling up� for an unspecified action with consequences that no one could foresee. LTC Rider spent the next 6 years appealing to Army Review (Corrections) Boards. Testimony from numerous associates and participants in some of the actions leading up to his relief, including Maj. Albrecht, Maj. Langley Chavis & ARVN Maj. Doan (CO of the Hoc Bao), among others, convinced the Board and LTC Rider was granted 6 years back pay and grade and the disciplinary action expunged from the record. Maj. Albrecht was also vindicated. The general officer involved retired very shortly thereafter. Though vindicated, the episode probably deprived Col. Rider of attendance at the War College & very likely, a star. He never had a chance to claim the 2/17th Cav patch he commissioned at Camp Eagle, featured on this page. Many thanks to the sources for this update, which include telephone &/or email interviews with Maj. Langley Chavis (ret.)-1999, Maj. Dick Albrecht (ret.)-2003 and most particularly, Regina Rider Estes (devoted daughter, who had the foresight to retain transcripts and a recorded oral history) 2002-03, without whom this brief bio would not have been possible.) - Doug Kibbey, D Trp. & HHT, 2/17th Cav. �71. L-R: Maj. Dick Albrecht, Cpt. Nge (XO of the Hoc Bao, later KIA), Maj. Doan (CO of the Hoc Bao, whose men were dependent on the radio relay operations LTC Rider refused to abandon), and LTC Archie Rider. Image on right: Interview from article on airmobility in Rendezvous With Destiny, periodical of 101st Airborne Div., Summer/Fall '71. Same article in which LTC. Alfred Argent (our Australian visitor) is quoted elsewhere on this website section. Click here to read a poem by Col. Archie A. Rider Image on left courtesy of Frank Jones via Randy White. Image on right courtesy of Doug Kibbey
Vietnamese made 101st Airborne Division sleeve patch Image courtesy of Jim "Moon" Sheetz	Phu Bai airport from the air Image courtesy of Doug Kibbey	View of the HHT 2/17th Cav.Flight platoon birds on the flightline. The one in the foreground is the Sqdn.CO's aircraft (only his had the rocket pods, as I recall). Image courtesy of Doug Kibbey
HHT 2/17 Cav kickin' out C-rats on FSB Rendezvous, Oct 70. That's me bringin' the ship in to the low pad. These were taken by a friend with my camera. Image courtesy of Randy White	Duplexed photo shows the last birds of Flight Platoon, HQ 2nd Sqdn./17th Air Cav departing from our temporary station at Phu Bai after our relocation from Camp Eagle. This was the final stand-down as a unit in RVN...these birds did not return to the pad. Date is "sometime in Jan. '72" ( we already knew it was going to "rain" heavily, and it did...the Spring Offensive began less than 60 days later). A skeleton crew went back to Fort Campbell, as I understand it...those of us with less than minimum in-country time (6 months) to DEROS generally were reassigned to other units. In my case, it was to "G" Trp., 2/11ACR "Blackhorse" down south Image courtesy of Doug Kibbey	View of the HHT 2/17th Cav. Flight Platoon birds on the flight line. The one in the foreground was C troop commander Jim Newman's.The rocket pods were added after Lam Son 719 Image courtesy of Doug Kibbey with additional info from Jim Newman, Condor 6.
WNW view of 2/17th Cav. Camp Eagle pad '71. AH-1G's of 'A' Troop & 'B' Troop are distinguishable among the others. Ammo supply point at lower right. Image courtesy of Doug Kibbey	UH-1 of HHT flight platoon, 2/17th Cav, Camp Eagle - '71. I believe this is the Sqdn. CO's bird as only his had the rocket pods, if I recall correctly. Image courtesy of Doug Kibbey	UH-1 of flight platoon, HHT 2/17th Cav, Camp Eagle - '71 Image courtesy of Doug Kibbey
D troop, 2/17th Cav rappeling at Camp Eagle, just for fun this time. Note use of self-tied 'Swiss Seat' as custom web gear for this application hadn't been developed or wasn't available yet...not as uncomfortable as it looks. This becomes more interesting when you add about 70 lbs. of gear. View is from HQ area toward 'D' troop, 2/17th Cav area on the right...'L' Co. Rangers area directly ahead in line with pole in foreground. Hangar roof has been replaced following 'removal' by Typhoon Agnes. Image courtesy of Doug Kibbey	Myself as a mere 20(!) year old scout in Delta (ground) troop of 2/17th at Camp Eagle in '71. A scout pilot with the "Banshees" (B Troop), WO1 Andy Campbell says he did over a hundred of these for guys in the squadron. Printed 'em in his hooch, stained with coffee, and mounted them on the cardboard ammo dividers he retrieved from spent minigun ammo cans. He'd been a pro photographer prior to flight school and it shows Image courtesy of Doug Kibbey	EM hooches at 2/17th Cav, across from Sqdn.HQ. Hill overlooking 2/17th flightline visible at far right Image courtesy of Doug Kibbey
ID of Lt.Col. Argent confirmed. I took this picture at Camp Eagle in the 2/17th Cav area in '71 and recently found the text of his interview in an article on airmobility in the Summer/Fall '71 issue of Rendezvous With Destiny, the periodical of the 101st Airborne Div. in Vietnam. There was another Aussie, a flight surgeon I think, who visited us with an assistant at D Troop, 2/17th Cav and taught us to rappel 'Australian style'...head first, but his name really escapes me." - Doug Kibbey, D Trp.,2/17th Cav., 101st Abn. Image courtesy of Doug Kibbey	Backside of HHT hooches looking SW to flightline (UH-1 at a hover), troop showers at the end of the PSP, which could actually be warm, if your timing was good. Image courtesy of Doug Kibbey	Night view of 2/17th helipad at Phu Bai, occupied briefly after stand-down at Camp Eagle. Same pad as shown above with the birds departing. This was last posting of 2/17th in RVN in early '72. Image courtesy of Doug Kibbey

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