Blackhawks Association
The Blackhawks Association is a non-profit, non-political, fraternal organization. The principal objective is to preserve our history, to bring old friends together, to make new friends and to remember those fellow Blackhawks who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Vietnam Tour Picture Album
Life After Vietnam Picture Album
2015 Reunion
2016 Reunion
I wrote "We Just Did What We Were Told" after watching a Veteran's Day documentary about Vietnam nurses and the PTSD they experienced.
I recorded it in 1998 and it was included on "Somethin' About Guitars" a CD I released in 2006. I served with the 7th Squadron 1st Air Cav Regiment which trained at Fort Knox, Ky for several months in 1967 before shipping out to Vietnam in January '68. Besides having an acute appendectomy, nothing bad happened to me over there. I came home 9 months later when my time was up and entered college (again).
As the years have gone by I've felt a profound sadness any time I think of all those men & women who were killed, injured or forever changed.
We did what the generation before us had done when their country called.
Blackhawks attending the 2015 reunion in Sacramento were treated to rides in a UH-1H provided by the Vietnam Helicopters Museum. It was a truly wonderful experience for all of us, especially wives and those who have been out of the cockpit for the past 4 decades!
This is film my step dad shot in Vietnam. He recently trusted me with it to have it transfered to video along with other home movies none of the family had seen for years. Some of it we have never seen until now. I asked him for a little description to add and received this:
Rob Bailey: 1968, Vinh Long, in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam, C Troop, 7th Squadron, 1st Cavalry (abbreviated C/7/1). I did spot a couple of faces that I can put names with, and some that are...just...gone...
Look close and you will see Tisdale strapping #342 (two-tons of Cobra) to his butt.
An intersting side note. The helicopter shown at the begining with the MAR on the side is now on display at Veteran's Memorial Park in Dixon IL. Their web site has some history of the helicopter and more pictures.