FORT IRWIN, Calif. -- The Fort Irwin community honored Veterans of the Vietnam War March 28, with a Motorcycle Ride and Welcome Home Ceremony. The ride started at the Marine Corps Logistics Base in Barstow, Calif., and ended here.
"When I came home, I was told to change out of my uniform because it was dangerous," said Ken Sabo, an 11th ACR Vietnam Veteran. "People didn't like us at the time because they thought that every bad image coming from Vietnam was because of us. This was not what I expected."
The Ride and Ceremony have become a tradition for the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, local Veterans, and the Fort Irwin Community.
The Welcome Home Ceremonies are conducted to provide a thank you and welcome home which many Vietnam Veterans didn't receive after the war. The motorcycle ride allows people from all over to show their support.
Participating veterans got to relive the camaraderie which they held while serving on the battlefield.
"The uniqueness of the 11th ACR, being smaller than a Division, is one of the reasons we have such close bonds," said Jim Bledsoe, a veteran of the 2nd Squadron, 11th ACR, serving during the time the Regiment was guarding the Fulda Gap in Germany during the Cold War.
We were self-sufficient across the different areas of the Regiment, said Roger Sturgis, also a veteran of the 11th ACR during the time of the Fulda Gap mission. When we went out to the field, we had the same cooks, mechanics, artillerymen, etc. as we did in garrison. The best part of this setup was getting to know the people we were working with.
"Today, your friends in the Unit are called Battle Buddies, but for me the whole Squadron and Regiment are my Battle Buddies," said Chuck Lewis, a Veteran of the 11th ACR during Fulda Gap and again during Desert Storm.
As the Regiment was called upon time and again to go into harm's way and to protect freedom, two associations as well as several motorcycle groups were formed. Several members of each group participated in the ride and ceremony.
The Blackhorse Association was the first, which was started in 1969 as a promise from then Col. George S. Patton and Command Sgt. Maj. Paul Squires to 'not let people forget us' and to 'take care of our kids.'
Second, is the 11th Armored Cavalry's Veterans of Vietnam & Cambodia, which was founded in 1984 after several names of Blackhorse veterans were collected at the dedication of The Three Soldiers statue as a part of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C.
"These groups were made to honor our fallen brothers and to build Esprit de Corps among the rest of us," said Sabo.
The Blackhorse patch has a high recognition factor. Many times people have come up to thank me for the things which the Regiment did, even though I wasn't a part of that specific mission, said Bledsoe.
"This level of friendship and camaraderie is rare within the military, and if we want it to continue then I have a challenge to the Troopers out there today: work together," said Sturgis. "Just because you got a promotion doesn't mean that you don't have to do things. Don't put your Troopers on a detail that you wouldn't do. If they are sweeping the motorpool then grab a broom and help them. Not only will they respect you for it, but they will work harder for you because they know that you have their back."
Throughout the years the Regiment has had a strong bond of friendship which can grow larger and more fruitful as time goes on and more Troopers are assigned to the unit.
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