THE

 LEADERS

The 33rd Trans. Company and the 118th existed in Vietnam for 9 years! That is a very long time for a unit to function in a combat zone. During those years many, many career U.S. Army personnel served in leadership positions. While they were only as successful as the people who followed their leadership in the unit, they were a strong influence on the performance of the unit as a whole. Our purpose here is to recreate a full listing of those who served as leaders, from start to finish, in the U.S. Army's finest helicopter unit to serve in Vietnam.

 YEAR

 CO

 XO

 OPNS

1SGT

 573rd

 93rd

 1962
 MAJ.
Joseph Henderson
(Nov 60)
 CPT Edward C. Seymour
 CPT
Bennie E. Luck, Jr
 
CPT
Browder A Willis, Jr.
(May 63- ?)
 1SGT
Hugh Rae
 1LT
Robert J. Brandt
(Aug 62-63)
 CPT William D.
Mears, MD

 1963
 MAJ.
Joseph Henderson
(Jul 63)
 
 
MAJ.
David B. Hayes
(Jul 63-Apr 64)
CPT
James P. Hannon
 
 
 
MAJ.
L Vincent McNeese
 CPT
Jack O.
Phillabaum
(Jul-Oct 63)

 

CPT
James A. Kilgore
(Oct 63-?)
 1SGT
Hugh Rae
 
 
 
1SGT
Donald J. Novey
 1LT
Robert J. Brandt
 
CPT
Frank Radspinner
 
CPT
James R. Hughes
(Aug
63-64)
 
CPT William D.
Mears, MD
 
 
 
 
CPT
Dale Minner, MD 

 1964
 MAJ.
L. Vincent McNeese
(Apr 64-
Oct 64)
 
MAJ.
Harvey E.
Stewart
(Oct 64-
Apr 65)

 CPT Robert E. L. Osbourn

 

CPT
James J. O'Connor (Mar 65)
?
Early 64
 
 
CPT
Pearce A. "Rocky" Lane
(?- Dec 64)
 
 
 1SGT
Carl R.
Gross(?)
 
 
 
1SGT Lawrence C. Tyson
CPT
James R. Hughes
 
 
CPT
Wm. Rhyan
CPT
James W. Ralph, MD
 
 
 
1LT
Burton H. Kaplan, MD

 1965
 MAJ.
Harvey E.
Stewart
 
 
MAJ.
Jack
Seliskar
(7 Aug 65-
Dec 65)
 CPT Lionel Waugh
(Dec 64- May 65)
 
CPT Frederick E.
Cooper
(2 Jun 65-
26 May 66)
CPT
John Grasmeder
(2 Jan 65-
Nov 65)
 
 
 
CPT
Ted Jambon
(Nov 65-Mar 66)
1SGT Lawrence C. Tyson 
 
 
 
 
1SGT
John W.
Day
 CPT James W. Griffin
CPT
Burton H. Kaplan, MD
 
 
CPT Joseph
Altomonte, MD

 1966
MAJ.
Orlie Underwood
(Dec 65-Jul 66)
 
MAJ.
Robert L. Sauers
(6-19 Jul 66)
 
 MAJ.
George W. Owens
(Jul 66-Jan 67)
 
MAJ.
Joseph Boggs
(Nov66-Mar67)
CPT Fred
Cooper
(May 65-Apr 66)
 
 
CPT
Rudolph DeFrance
 
 
MAJ.
George W.
Owens
 
 
MAJ Robert Davis
MAJ John C. "Doc" Bahnsen
(15 Mar-25 May 66)
 
CPT
Rudolph DeFrance 
(May66-Jul 66)

 

MAJ.
Ted Jambon
(Jul 66-
Oct 66)
 
MAJ.
Chuck Haney
(Oct 66-
Jan 67)

 

 

1SGT ? Spruel

 

 

 

 

 

 

1SGT Ermal Sparks
 MAJ
Donald Wray
(Sep 66-67)
 CPT
Joseph Altomonte, MD
(Feb 65-
Oct 66)
(19months)

 1967
 MAJ.
Howard Hostler
(Apr67-Dec67)
 
MAJ.
William Bradner
MAJ William Bradner
 
 
 MAJ. Evans Guidroz
 MAJ.
Robert W. Michel
(Feb 67-
Jun 67)
 
MAJ.
T. H. Bilbrey
(Jul 67-?)
 1SGT
James F. Dick
 
 
1SGT
Dale G. Kinney
 MAJ.
Donald Wray
 
CPT
George Fasching
(Sep67
 CPT
Marvin Marchman,
MD

 1968
 MAJ
Evans J. Guidroz
 
MAJ
Henry (Hank) C.
Browning
(Feb-Jul 68)
 
MAJ.
Duane C. Ingram
(Jul -Dec 68)

 MAJ Robert G. Shain (Mar 68-Aug 68)

CPT Richard W. Dyer
(Act XO- to 4 Aug 68)
 
MAJ. Hershell B. Murray
(4 Aug-16 Sep 68)

MAJ. Bobby L. Moore (Sep 68-Apr 69)
MAJ
Robert G. Shain
(Dec67-Apr68)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CPT
Dan Grigsby
(Nov 68-July 69)
1SGT
Julius D. Baratz 
 
 
1SGT
Tillman Davis
(Sep68-Jan69)
 CPT
George H. Fasching
 
 
 
 
 
 
CPT Ken Dolan
 
 
CPT Dewey J. "Jack"
Shelton
  

 1969
MAJ.
John A.
Britton
 
 
MAJ.
Barney P. Hancock
 
 
 
 
 CPT
Abner B.
Chapman
 CPT
Dan Grigsby
(Nov 68-July 69)
 
CPT
George Estess
 -
 CPT
Dewey J. "Jack" Shelton
 
 
CPT Jim Olafson (Jun69-Sep 69)
  

 1970
MAJ.
Barney P.
Hancock
 
 MAJ.
Michael P. Hefferman
 
 
MAJ.
Robert
H. Smith
 
 
 
 
 
CPT
Dennis R. Brown
 
 
 
 
CPT
Emory D. Beasley
 
 
 
 
CPT
Jim Olafson
(Oct69-Mar 70)
 
 
 
 
CPT
Emory D.
Beasley
 
 
1SGT Walker
 
 
 
 
 
 1SGT(SFC) James V. Tipton, Jr.
(Aug 70-Apr 71)
 CPT Debo
  

 1971
 MAJ.
Robert
H. Smith
 
CPT James Malone
 CPT James
Malone
 CPT
Emory D.
Beasley
 1SGT(SFC) James V. Tipton, Jr.
(Aug 70-Apr 71)
    

1964

Change of Command ceremony of the 118th Aviation Company (AML) in the old 118th area
next to the main runway.(Note Bien Hoa control tower). MAJ Vincent McNeese
passed command to MAJ Harvey Stewart on this date, Oct 21, 1964. It is an official
U.S. Army photo.
(Photo courtesy Martin Lehotay)
 
MAJ Vincent McNeese speaking to the 118th on 21 Oct 1964, the day he turned
over Command to MAJ Harvey Stewart.(64) Official U.S. Army Photo
(Photo courtesy Martin Lehotay)
 
 
 
LTC Cunningham, the 4th Commander of the 145th Combat Aviation Battalion,
speaking at Change of Command ceremony on 21 Oct 64.
Official U.S. Army Photo
(Photo courtesy Martin Lehotay)
 
1SGT Lawrence C. Tyson (L) and CPT Lionel C. Waugh, XO in the orderly room of 118th.
Official U.S. Army Photos (65)
(Photos courtesy Martin Lehotay)

1965

CPT John Grasmeder, OPNS Officer (L) and MAJ Jack Seliskar, CO standing in front of 118th Operations before the door was changed to the right end of the building(this door faced mainly to the south).(65)
(Photo courtesy Ron Madsen)
 
 
 

 
  
 
(Newspaper Article courtesy Joe Newsome, PIO)
 

1966

MAJ George W. Owens, CO and MAJ Rudolph B. DeFrance, XO emerging from conex bunker(66)
(Photo courtesy George Owens)

MAJ. George Owens who served as XO and CO of the 118th remembers, "I served with a number of units in my career, and commanded 5. My first command was a Rifle company in Korea almost 50 years ago. In my almost 23 years in uniform no unit I served with, or observed, could measure up to the 118th Thunderbirds. I don't know whether the 118th was just lucky to have such outstanding personnel assigned, or the unit itself brought out the best in everyone. Probably a little of both. I was never so fortunate as when I was in the 118th. Ted Jambon once told me that a smart CO surrounded himself with smart people and just let them demonstrate their intelligence and leadership abilities. Looking back, that was exactly how I handled the 118th. As the XO I had time to observe the people and their truly outstanding abilities. By the time I was fortunate to become CO, I knew enough not to micro- manage. Thus, I was the luckiest CO in Vietnam."

George Owens
Thunderbird 5 and 6
1966
 
 
1966
MAJ Joe Boggs, Commander of the 118th
at 573rd Maint. Det. Christmas 66 party
at the Bird cage.(66)
(Photo courtesy Willis Long)
 

1967

MAJ William 'Bill' Bradner, XO (L)
and MAJ Howard K. Hostler, CO (R)
at the Bien Hoa Orphanage. Nov 1967
(Photo courtesy Dr. Marvin Marchman)
 
Interesting article in "Stars and Stipes" writen by 118th PIO, Jack Swickard,
telling how on 2 Nov 67 the 118th Bandits "escorted" a Big Smoker as it
took off from Bien Hoa Airbase with MAJ Bill Bradner on board. (68)
(Article courtesy Willis Long)
 
Jim Thorne Remembers.....
 " The account is accurate with the singular exception that there were only two of us. CWO Warren (Pappy) Spencer and I decided to undertake the mission while returning from a sendoff for Maj. Bradner and CWO Bobby Bell at the O Club at Camp Alpha. As I recall, it was around 5:00 am in the morning and Pappy and I were still a little under the weather. I had the Bandit platoon sergeant, SGT. Jimmy Pirtle, strip down two Charlie models and Pappy and I flew the mission as a crew of one on each aircraft."
 
 

1968

MAJ Duane C. Ingram, CO on left and
1SGT Tillman Davis in front of 118th Orderly Room
Bailey Compound, Bien Hoa Air base in late 1968.
(Photo courtesy Tillman Davis)

1969

Change of Command ceremony from MAJ Duane C. Ingram
to MAJ John A. Britton
by Commander of 145th CAB.(69)
(Photo courtesy Ronny Ross)
 
 
 

1970

Sign in front of 118th Thunderbird Orderly Room(70)
(Photo courtesy Alfred LeBeau)
 
 

NOTE

If you know who served in a position of leadership when you were in the unit and they are not listed, or you see someone listed wrong, please e-mail the Webmaster , so the record can be set straight.