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Passing the baton
By
Natasha Derrick
Natasha@TheColumbiaStar.com
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| Photo by Natasha Derrick Vietnam
veteran, Bob Decker, adjusts his old Army uniform
on one of the mannequins he plans to send to the
6th Troop, 17th Cavalry at Fort Wainwright,
Alaska. | |
It was Christmas time in 1999 when Bob Decker
began to reminisce about his time in Vietnam. "I just got to
thinking about my old buddies," Decker said. "So, I started
the website."
In the beginning it was a very simple website
dedicated to the soldiers who did not return from combat while
serving in F Troop, 17th Cavalry, a reconnaissance unit.
According to Decker, the website took on a
life of its own, reuniting veterans from around the country
and spurring him on to research more of the history of the
troop.
Decker enlisted in the army at age 17 and
volunteered to serve in the war in Vietnam. His tour of duty
was from 1966-67, and he retired in 1991 at the rank of
Sergeant First Class. In 1972, the army disbanded F Troop,
17th Cavalry.
Thirty-three years later, Decker was delighted
when he received the news that the military was reactivating F
Troop, 17th Cavalry as 6th Troop, 17th Cavalry to be stationed
at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. Decker received word from a member
of the newly formed troop who found his website and asked for
his help in compiling an extensive history on the 17th
Cavalry.
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| Photo contributed by Lt. Col. Scott
Brown Lt. Col. Scott Brown removes the casing for
the presentation of the colors at Fort Wainwright,
Alaska. | | With some help, Decker was able to discover that the F
Troop 17th Cavalry was organized in July of 1916 at Fort
Bliss, Texas, and later inactivated in 1921. In 1959, the 17th
Cavalry was reorganized and later called to serve in Tay Ninh,
Vietnam.
Decker began to gather memorabilia from his
former brothers in arms from the Vietnam War. "I began to look
around at all I had collected and thought What am I going to do with it all?
" Decker said. So, with the help of his wife,
Nancy, he began preparing items to send to the new 6th Troop,
17th Cavalry in Alaska.
Through eBay, Decker purchased enough items to
dress two mannequins, one in the official outfit from 1916 and
another from the Vietnam War. The 1916 uniform has authentic
riding pants and leather leggings, while the boots and hat are
official replicas. Decker donated his own jacket and pants to
complete the Vietnam uniform, which includes a replica hat and
standard military boots. It took about two and a half months
to receive all the items, and now he plans to ship the
mannequins to Alaska by Thursday, August 10.
The commanding officer of 6th Troop, 17th
Cavalry, Lt. Col. Scott Brown, intends to display the uniforms
in the headquarters conference room along with enlargements of
photos Decker has sent him.
"Bob's gifts from the former troopers of F
Troop, 17th CAV ( Vietnam ) will ensure that soldiers have a
physical piece of the history when they walk the squadron
headquarters," Lt. Col. Brown said. "Bob and Nancy are
wonderful people and have embraced our unit in providing an
active link from past to present." Lt. Col. Brown, a 1982
graduate of Spring Valley High School, was commissioned Second
Lieutenant of Infantry right out of USC, where he received his
BA in geography.
Nancy framed the guidon flag, official
patches, and insignia pins to include in Decker's package to
the troop at Wainwright. As a surprise, Decker will also
include a songbook he found which belonged to a Sgt. Bert
Wilson of the original F Troop, 17th Cavalry of the early
1900s.
Decker's purpose since the inception of his
website has always been to preserve the memory of his troop
and helping the newest 17th Cavalry is a big part. "It's an
honor," Decker said. "I'll do anything I can to help the young
soldiers to have a history. One generation passes the baton on
to the next."
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