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| Click on picture to go to Keith's website. |
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| Graphic provided courtesy of Keith ( Hacksaw ) Bodine, 229th. AHB, 1966 |
 KENNETH D. MERTEL
COLONEL U.S.A. (RET)
1924-2006This site is dedicated to the honor and memory of Col. Kenneth D. Mertel, who was the Battalion Commander of the Jumping
Mustangs as they went into battle in RVN and who unselfishly created and organized the Jumping Mustang Association because
of the respect and love he had for the soldiers who served in this great battalion. He also is responsible for the development
of this web site which is carried on in his honor. A tribute to his service has also been posted on the All The Way Brigade
web site. Click this link to go there: 
1st Air Cavalry Division |
Airborne - Air Assault - Airmobile |
| This
page is dedicated to the Sky Troopers of the 1st Bn (ABN) 8th Cav who fought in Vietnam 1965-1971..."We are all JUMPING
MUSTANGS, whether we jumped with a parachute or simply jumped from a hovering helicopter, sometimes many feet in the air into
the jungle, thus the name of our Home Page Web Site. Individual Company Home Pages are included". |
Initial Members were Parachute Qualified...We were all Air Assault and Airmobile
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JUMPANG MUSTANG AIRBORNE WING BACKGROUND
ON LEFT. (The airborne flash for the Jumping Mustangs was
approved by the Institute Of Heraldry. The blue background represents the Infantry, and the yellow border with a black stripe
represents the cavalry.)
1ST AIRBORNE BRIGADE WING BACKGROUND ON RIGHT. |
Our Actions Lead to the Development of the Current Air Assault Badge and
We Performed the First Two Night Combat Air Assaults in History and Were Awarded the Air Assault Badge Depicted on the Left.
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Under Enemy Fire, We replaced our Expert Infantry with Combat Infantry Badges
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The Combat Medical Badge was awarded to those men who desperately fought
to save the lives of our wounded comrades |
| The Battalion received the following
Unit Awards for Heroism, Valor and Gallantry during Combat in the Republic of Vietnam: |
 Presidential Unit Citation for Heroic Actions at Pleiku Province (1965). This citation
is awarded to units of the Armed Forces for extraordinary heroism in action against an enemy. The unit must display such gallantry,
determination, and esprit de corps in accomplishing its mission under extremely difficult and hazardous conditions as to set
it apart and above other units participating in the same campaign. The degree of heroism required is the same as that which
would warrant award of a Distinguished Service Cross to an individual. |
 Valorous Unit Award for Combat Actions during Fish Hook. The degree of heroism
required is the same as that which warrant award of a Silver Star to an individual. |
 RVN Cross of Gallantry with Palm. Awarded to the unit for combat actions in the
Republic of Vietnam. |
Individual Awards and Decorations may be found on the Company Web
Pages
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We are proud members of the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), the highest
decorated unit in the Vietnam War. We fought to free the oppressed, and answered President John F. Kennedy's call "Ask
not what your Country can do for you, but what you can do for your Country!" |
GOD
BLESS AMERICA! GOD BLESS OUR WARRIORS IN HARMS WAY! JOIN 1 CAV DIV ASSOCIATION
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WELCOME
TO JUMPING MUSTANG HOME PAGE LINKS TO COMPANY HOME PAGES
"D" 19 |
Jumping Mustang Historian is Tom Brett...tombrettphoto@cox.net |
REUNION 2008
MYRTLE BEACH, SC
SEP 17-21, 2008
SAND DUNES RESORT
HOTEL
Reservations 1-800-845-6701
CLICK REUNION REGISTRATION FORM IN THE NAVIGATION BAR
AT LEFT TO SIGN UP.
First Cavalry Division 61st
Reunion See second paragraph below. If you
are planning on helping out as a Volunteer for this upcoming 1st CAV NATIONAL Reunion, your hotel reservations should
be made as soon as possible. The first night available is Wednesday June 18th, and only 150 rooms are available. Wednesday
and Thursday are the biggest days for registration, Cav Souvenir shop, and meetings. If you sign up for an activity to assist
with during the reunion, make sure that you have hotel reservations and if you cannot cover your time or days for volunteering,we
need to know that. I know the reunion schedules are not out yet, but the days are, and they mostly follow the same as all
away reunions. Robert D Johnson The following is from the First CAV website: www.1cda.org The 61st Annual Reunion of the 1st Cavalry Division Association will be held in Jacksonville
(JAX), Florida from 18-22 June 2008. Reunions are a time to gather together and renew old
acquaintances from times gone by and make new friends that share the common bond of serving with the First Team. All
Life members and Associate members of the 1st Cavalry Division Association are welcome to attend this special event. We will be utilizing the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront Hotel for
our events. We have contracted for a minimum of 150 rooms on Wednesday evening and 350 rooms per night for Thursday,
Friday and Saturday. We have a special room rate of $92 per night, plus applicable taxes, for the duration of the
reunion including three days before and three days after the reunion dates. We have free self-parking in our contract
but if you want valet parking you will need to pay for that. Their phone numbers for reservations are: (800) 233-1234 (904) 588-1234
Make sure
that you identify yourself as being with the 1st Cavalry Division Association to obtain our special rate. Additional details will be published at a later date.
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Battalion Commander's and CSM Corner
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This "Jumping Mustang" Web Site is dedicated to all of the "Warriors"
who served in Vietnam with our great Battalion from 1965 to 1971, all "shifts" of our great 1st Air Cav Division
and their wonderful spouses, children, and families and those "Warriors" who paid the "Supreme Sacrifice",
and their families.
We can never forget our activation as 1st Bn, 1/8 Air Cav, Airborne, Airmobile, Air Assault
on 1 Jul 1965. Our hard, realistic training, day and night. Lost Platoon Leaders and their Platoons in the Georgia swamps,
learning to navigate in the jungle and swamps of Fort Benning Georgia. The battalion goes "Airborne" as all "Legs"
go to Jump School, the influx of Airborne Plat Sgts, 1st Sgts and CSM from the 82nd and 101st Abn Divisions. Our first "jumps".
REMEMBER The "Great Five Mile Run" (could we do it??==we did}; the green dye as our underwear changed colors.
We sailed from Savannah, Georgia on 20 Aug 1965, aboard the USN Geiger, 31 days, "double "timed all the
way, through the Panama Canal, across the Pacific Ocean to Quinon, landing on 20 Sep.
Remember our liberty for
a few hours on Guam,also our invasion of Honolulu enroute?
Ready for an amphibious assault landing at Quinon, we
were disappointed (and relieved) when we were taken by helicopter to An Khe, the 1st Air Cav home base, known as the "golf
course".
Do not forget our many battles and many combat actions as our "Warriors" came of age and
were "blooded".
What a splendid record this "first shift" made, traditions and high standards
set to be carried on by all future "shifts" of "Jumping Mustang Warriors"
What a great group
of officers, NCOs and men, "Warriors" all, "Sky Troopers" all.
It was my honor and privilege
to be your first commander.
My personal thanks to Jerry Conners (Recon LRRP Team 1965-66) for starting this "Jumping
Mustang Home Web Page". You have done a great job Jerry.
With all of our Jumping Mustangs continuing input,
help and support, our "Home Page" shall continue to improve.
HONOR AND COURAGE, DRIVE ON ALL THE WAY,
MUSTANG 6, Ken Mertel
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