Col. Lance E. dePlante, USA-Ret.
Interesting website--I am a member of the Trojan Horse Chapter (72) here in NH...I was in VN in 63-64..I was a pilot with the 8th helicopter/117th in Qui Nhon..In Jan 64 I was sent with crew to NhaTrang to support the 5th SFG. I suspect because my last name was dePlante and could speak French was probably the reason I was attached to Group...
Group Cmdr. asked me to go to Ban Me Thout to provide support to SF units in the area--while there I earned a DFC for rescuing a SF major who went down with pilot in an L-19--also while there in April picked my second PH while picking up an A-team which had become entangled with a VC patrol--
while in the 8th Field Hospital--The CO and Gen Stilwell came to see me..don’t recall the CO's name but he asked if since I had been participating in and seemed to enjoyed some extraneous type work with SF--if I would like to go to Ft Bragg and get SF qualified--
said I had order to go to Benning for the Advanced course..Gen Stilwell got my orders changed--went to Bragg, assigned to the 7th SF Group then the 3rd and 8th--Stilwell when he became CG of SF Warfare Center tapped me to be his aide--which I have regretted the rest of my career(long story)...in any case went to Dom Rep with the 7th and spent the rest of my Army career in various assignment, finally retiring in 94..........We were in Ban Me Thout in early 64--just thought I'd pass on some old memories..also worked with the Montgnards
Col. Lance E. dePlante, USA-Ret.
Goose Hollow Farm,
New Ipswich, NH 03071
blackjak6@msn.com