Allen Hathaway

HHT Regt, 08/66-07/67

From The Command Track

By Allen Hathaway  (August 2010)

 This issue of Thunder Run will arrive just a few weeks before the 25th annual reunion in Washington, DC, on August 25-29.  All indications point to attendance of approximately 1,100 this year.

 We are pleased to announce that Joseph L. (Joe) Galloway, famed author and correspondent, will be our guest speaker at the Saturday night reunion banquet.  During the course of 15 years of foreign service with United Press International he served four tours as a war correspondent in Vietnam. 

 He is co-author, with Lt. Gen. (ret) Hal G. Moore, of the national bestseller

We Were Soldiers Once…and Young, which has been made into a critically acclaimed movie, We Were Soldiers, starring Mel Gibson. We Were Soldiers Once…and Young is presently in print in four different editions which have sold more than 1.2 million copies.

 When he accepted our invitation he replied, “I will be there wearing stetson and spurs, and ready to talk."

 There are many sights to see in Washington.  We encourage everyone to visit them on their own or with friends and at their own pace.  One suggestion is to start at the White House, just a few blocks from the hotel, then the World War II Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Vietnam Women’s Memorial.  Catch the view of the reflection pool, Washington Monument and Capital Building from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and then continue on to the nearby Korean War Memorial.  It can be hot in the summer so dress comfortably.

 We received many phone calls and e-mails the months before the reunion from members who want to contact old friends and meet at the reunion.  Several who will be attending this year will meet old friends for the first time since Vietnam.  This is what it’s all about - renewing old friendships, “Together Then – Together Again”.

 As I look back at the reunions over the past 25 years I think of the scores of people who have attended, each one filled with pride in having served with the Blackhorse Regiment and each one eager to tell their story.  I’ve heard countless numbers of stories over the years and I always take the time to listen to each one.

 I was fortunate to have attended the first reunion in September 1986.  My first contact with anyone from the 11th Cav was in January of that year when I received a phone call from an old friend I hadn’t heard from since Vietnam.  I answered the phone and recognized his southern accent almost immediately.  Although it had been 20 years since we last spoke it seemed like only the day before.  We talked for several hours, catching up on our lives over the last 20 years, wondering about some of the others we knew and what the 11th Cav did after we left in July 1967.  He told me about a reunion being planned for September.  Without any hesitation, I knew I would be there.

 After the phone call I immediately began looking for my old Army things that had been packed away for many years.  I found an address book!  (We all said we would keep in contact when we got home.)  In the next few months I made many phone calls, determined to find some of my old friends.  I was fortunate that I was able to locate several others I knew.

 One day the first issue of the newsletter arrived.  It didn’t have a name yet.  The official name “Thunder Run” wouldn’t come until 1988.  The newsletter consisted of six pages and contained information about the reunion.  One entire page listed 18 people looking for old friends.  I realized I wasn’t the only one looking for old friends.  I read the entire newsletter several time.

 September 5, 1986 – the first reunion.  I arrived at the Rodeway Inn in Arlington, Texas, not knowing what to expect.  The moment I walked in the door and saw the first Blackhorse insignia I knew I was among friends.  Approximately 175 people attended that first reunion.  Six people I knew in Vietnam attended: Ashe, Bridgeford, Hain, Smailus, Smetana and Sowinski.  We caught up on the last 20 years, talked about old times, looked at pictures and wondered where some of our other friends were.  We learned so much about what the regiment did after we left in mid 1967.  That weekend I also met many new friends, friends I see now almost every year.

 These annual reunions have helped us reunite with old friends who served together in some very trying times.  We depended on each other every day and under extremely difficult conditions.  We all share a very special bond, a bond that lasts a lifetime.  We have also learned a great deal about the history of this regiment.  Those who served with the Blackhorse are proud of their unit and of their service.

 Once again this year promises to be an outstanding reunion and an opportunity to be with others who served with the Blackhorse Regiment.  Dig out your old pictures, slides and scrapbook and come prepared to enjoy yourself!

 We would like to take this opportunity to welcome COL Antonio Aguto as the 64th Colonel of the Blackhorse Regiment.  COL Aguto assumed command of the regiment from COL Paul Laughlin, 63rd Colonel, in a change of command ceremony held on June 30, 2010, at Fort Irwin, CA.  We would also like to thank COL Laughlin for his excellent leadership of the Blackhorse Regiment during the past two years and for the support he and the entire regiment have given to all Blackhorse veterans.  We extend our very best wishes to both on their new assignments.

 Finally, as always, I ask that you keep our service men and women in your thoughts and prayers.  Reach out to those who wear the uniform and contribute daily to the security of our country, offer your hand, and thank them for their selfless service.  ALLONS! – It’s good to be “Together Again”.