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HONOR and COURAGE
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 Graphic provided courtesy of Keith ( Hacksaw
) Bodine, 229th. AHB, 1966
Click on picture to go to Keith's website.
KENNETH D. MERTEL
COLONEL U.S.A. (RET) 1924-2006 This site is dedicated to the honor and memory of Col. Kenneth D. Mertel, who was the Battalion Commander of the Jumping Mustangs as they went into battle in RVN and who unselfishly created and organized the Jumping Mustang Association because of the respect and love he had for the soldiers who served in this great battalion. He also is responsible for the development of this web site which is carried on in his honor. A tribute to his service has also been posted on the All The Way Brigade web site. Click this link to go there: Site Dedication by Kenneth D Mertel, U.S.A. Col (Ret), Battalion
Commander 1965 - 1966
This "Jumping Mustang" Web Site is dedicated to all of the "Warriors" who served in Vietnam with our great Battalion from 1965 to 1971, all "shifts" of our great 1st Air Cav Division and their wonderful spouses, children, and families and those "Warriors" who paid the "Supreme Sacrifice", and their families. We can never forget our activation as 1st Bn, 8th Cav, Airborne, Airmobile, Air Assault on 1 Jul 1965. Our hard, realistic training, day and night. Lost Platoon Leaders and their Platoons in the Georgia swamps, learning to navigate in the jungle and swamps of Fort Benning Georgia. The battalion goes "Airborne" as all "Legs" go to Jump School, the influx of Airborne Plat Sgts, 1st Sgts and CSM from the 82nd and 101st Abn Divisions. Our first "jumps". REMEMBER The "Great Five Mile Run" (could we do it??==we did); the green dye as our underwear changed colors. We sailed from Savannah, Georgia on 20 Aug 1965, aboard the USN Geiger, 31 days, "double "timed all the way, through the Panama Canal, across the Pacific Ocean to Qui Nhon (Quy Nhon), landing on 20 Sep. Remember our liberty for a few hours on Guam, also our invasion of Honolulu enroute? Ready for an amphibious assault landing at Qui Nhon, we were disappointed (and relieved) when we were taken by helicopter to An Khe, the 1st Air Cav home base, known as the "golf course". Do not forget our many battles and many combat actions as our "Warriors" came of age and were "blooded". What a splendid record this "first shift" made, traditions and high standards set to be carried on by all future "shifts" of "Jumping Mustang Warriors". What a great group of officers, NCOs and men, "Warriors" all, "Sky Troopers" all. It was my honor and privilege to be your first commander. My personal thanks to Jerry Conners (Recon LRRP Team 1965-66) for starting this "Jumping Mustang Home Web Page". You have done a great job Jerry. With all of our Jumping Mustangs continuing input, help and support, our "Home Page" shall continue to improve. HONOR AND COURAGE, DRIVE ON ALL THE WAY, MUSTANG 6 Ken Mertel This page is dedicated to the Sky Troopers of the 1st Bn (ABN) 8th Cav who fought
in Vietnam 1965-1971..."We are all JUMPING MUSTANGS, whether we jumped with a parachute or simply jumped from a hovering
helicopter, sometimes many feet in the air into the jungle, thus the name of our Home Page Web Site. Individual Company Home
Pages are included".
  JUMPANG MUSTANG AIRBORNE WING BACKGROUND ON LEFT. (The airborne flash for the Jumping Mustangs was approved by the Institute Of Heraldry. The blue
background represents the Infantry, and the yellow border with a black stripe represents the cavalry.)   
 We are proud members of the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), the highest decorated unit in the Vietnam War. We fought to free the oppressed, and answered President John F. Kennedy's call "Ask not what your Country can do for you, but what you can do for your Country!" GOD BLESS AMERICA! GOD BLESS
OUR WARRIORS IN HARMS WAY! JOIN 1st CAV DIV ASSOCIATION LINKS TO COMPANY HOME PAGESby John D. Dennision (Filder's Green 5-24-07) Now maintained by Carol Dennison http://www.dukesbrokendreams.com Jumping Mustang Historian is Tom Brett...tombrettphoto@cox.net Operatio Henry Clay Airborne Texas Tech Vietnam Project US Army Center of Military History |
Presidential Unit Citation for Heroic Actions at Pleiku Province (1965). This citation
is awarded to units of the Armed Forces for extraordinary heroism in action against an enemy. The unit must display such gallantry,
determination, and esprit de corps in accomplishing its mission under extremely difficult and hazardous conditions as to set
it apart and above other units participating in the same campaign. The degree of heroism required is the same as that which
would warrant award of a Distinguished Service Cross to an individual. 
Valorous Unit Award for Combat Actions during Fish Hook. The degree of heroism
required is the same as that which warrant award of a Silver Star to an individual. 
RVN Cross of Gallantry with Palm. Awarded to the unit for combat actions in the
Republic of Vietnam.