A Troop (Abn/Mech)

3rd Squadron, 8th Cavalry

8th Infantry Division, Germany

(~1965-1966~)

Get ready... Stand up... Hook up... Check equipment... Sound off for equipment check... Stand in the door... GO!

This page is dedicated to the great troopers of Airborne Troop, 3/8th Cavalry, '65-'66, and is built on the information they provide. Some of these troopers were in the unit earlier (many from '63-'66) and some continued later. I've picked the '65-'66 time-frame as a central "rallying point." Let Craig Nickisch (email below) know of corrections, additions, deletions, and whatever else crosses your mind!

FLASH! 40-Year Reunion, 10-12 June, in Springfield, Missouri, was a GREAT AIRBORNE SUCCESS! We had a great time!

Pretty soon there will be info about the next reunion - Summer 2007.
I. How It Was
II. The Personnel
III. A Troop Jumps
IV. Airborne Troopers & Their AO
V. Other Internet Sites of interest to Airborne Troopers

I. How It Was in A/3/8th Cavalry

Here there will be stories about the troop and our time on the frontiers of freedom. Give me your anecdotes and memories

II. The Troopers of Airborne Troop

Other troopers, your rank, position, etc? Email Craig Nickisch or Noe Garcia to add to this list. Click on the name to send that person an email. BTW: Black wings indicate the soldier has gone on to Fiddler's Green - red wings indicate KIA.

Auer, Eduard A., SSG Bane, Elbert Banks, Harry
Benson, Eric Bowick, Bill
Bryan, Sylvester Broze, Richard Buckley, Mike, 1LT, XO
Burkhead, Frank Burnett, Nathan Butler, William
Carper, Ronald Coffmann, Wallace "Wally"
Coonfield, Darrell Coppola, Joe Davies, Byron. Wales Utah
Darby, Weymnouth Earl, Jerald "Dale"
Eldridge, "Pappy", Plt Sgt Emigh, Bart, 2LT
Fedoroff, Alexander, SSG Fuller, Johnny (JC) Garcia, Noe
Gregg, Wynne Hamby, Giles
Hubbard, Gentry Jelks, James Kaszuba, Peter
Luongo, Alex Lynn, "Iron Mike", 1st Sgt Monroe, Kenneth R. "Peanuts"
Nemeth, John, 1st Sgt Nichols, Calvin
Nickisch, Craig, 1LT/CPT, Troop CO Parks, Robert "Woody" Pinella, Ronald
Quinteros, Simon Ransdell, Curtis H. Sgt Rayburn, Marshall
Romano, Frank Safford, John Scott, Joseph Jr "Choo-Choo", Plt Sgt
Schnayerson, David Semanco, Joe Seim, John
Simpson, Richard "Slick" Stanley, John PSG Stanley, William SGT
Storer, Roy Tervort, Terry Thrasher, Frank (now "John")
Wagner, Dale, 1LT Wells, Albert Welman, Moody, 1LT

III. A Troop Jumps


"Chute up!", Rhein-Main Airbase, 2 April 1965 (Nickisch at left)


C-130 Jump over Marnheim DZ, 2 April 1965


A Troopers over Marnheim DZ, 2 April 1965


A Troop collection point, Marnheim DZ, 2 April 1965 (Nickisch and Nemeth at right)

And now for pics of the Mother of All Jumps - Alzey South DZ, 17 Feb 1965

This drop was made in a 20-knot wind onto a frozen, ploughed DZ, dragging some A Troopers into adjacent vinyards (wires and posts, but no grapes!)

Left to right: PLF, Can't Recover, Being Dragged


A Troop chutes "draggin' in the wind"


Even the PAO photographer tried to help. Who's the trooper?


Nickisch and Wagner, with blood on the risers

IV. Pictures of Airborne Troopers & Their AO


Coleman Barracks (A Troop at left)


Tank Cleaning: Perry, Gregg, Garcia, Powers


L-R: Gregg, Garcia, Owens, Bryan, ---?


Goodlooking Guys in War Suits


Gregg, hard at work

V. Other Internet Sites of interest to Airborne Troopers (in no particular order):

Click to send me an email message ... I'd appreciate your comments, corrections & suggestions.

Airborne ... All The Way!


Craig Nickisch, 2002