Troopers Down
Charles Myers. On February 21, 2022, LTC (Ret.) Charles (Chic) Myers, loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, friend and soldier went to his Savior at the age of 77. Born in Greensboro, NC, December 18, 1945, he was the youngest of three children. After high school and earning his Eagle Scout Award, he entered the military.
Chic was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army on November 7, 1967 and retired from the Army February 2, 1992. He completed two combat tours in Vietnam and commanded a battalion in the First Infantry Division in Desert Storm. He truly loved serving with the countless soldiers and civilians here and abroad and continued with the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) in his very active retirement. Chic proudly served his country as a 1st Lt., Forward Observer (attached to C Troop) in the Howitzer Battery, 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (the Legendary Blackhorse Regiment) in the Vietnam War in 1968-69. He was a Life Member of the 11th ACVVC.
He received his bachelor’s degree in Business from the University of Nebraska and Masters in Business Administration from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. He delivered the commencement address at Embry Riddle in 2016.
He was a pilot and started two companies, Integrity Air, LLC and Executive Aviation Services, LLC, which provided business aviation services to companies in the Southwest. He was selected to serve on the Colorado Springs Airport Commission and the Colorado Aeronautics Board.
Chic is survived by his wife Carolyn. Together they adopted seven children from around the world and gave them the Myers family name, United States citizenship, and the opportunity for a new life in America.
After a life of service and devotion to God, his family, and his country, Chic will be interred at the Pikes Peak National Cemetery in Colorado Springs. Memorial services with honors will be held at a date to be determined.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Gary Sinise Foundation (garysinisefoundation.org), which offers support and services to active military, veterans, first responders, and their families. Rest in peace Chic.
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Peter Korbal. Peter Korbal, 71, from Mio, Michigan (formerly of Lincoln Park, Michigan), passed away March 7, 2022 in Gainesville, Georgia while staying with his niece, Lynda Marusza-Hurt.
He is survived by his beloved wife Tina Korbal; son, Bruce Korbal; daughter, Kara Holt; and the late Jason A. Korbal. He is also survived by his sisters, Pauline Grueschow and Mary Ann Meek; and a brother, Butch Korbal. He was a loving grandfather and great- grandfather and was adored by several nieces and nephews. Loving brother-in-law of Mary Boc and Mark (Nancy) Marusza.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Wahneta (Phillips) Korbal; father, Henry Korbal; and siblings, Virginia Decker, Steven Korbal, Jeannie Hanley, and Paul Korbal.
Pete was a proud Veteran of the Vietnam War. He served in the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (Blackhorse). He was retired from the Wayne County Road Commission where he served the community as a foreman. He will be greatly missed by many friends and family members
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Donald Wayne Johnson of Tomball, Texas passed away after a brief illness on March 23, 2022, at the age of 74. Don was born on April 7, 1947 in Little Rock, Arkansas to Otha and Alva Johnson.
Don graduated from Channelview High School in 1966 before being drafted into service in Vietnam. He served as a combat medic for the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (Blackhorse). Upon returning home, he resumed working in the family business, Someburger, eventually taking over as owner and operator of the Heights location at 11th Street and Studewood.
Throughout his life, Don was an avid collector, which showed in his vast array of interests and hobbies from photography to reading to weaponry. Don loved the outdoors and took numerous bear and elk hunting trips in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Famous one- liners, eye rolling cheesy jokes and endless numbers of quotable sayings were all a part of Don’s arsenal. Don’s spirit of generosity with gifts of service and kindness are attributes that will be deeply missed. Don was a military historian and had a seemingly endless photographic memory of dates, times, and battles. Whether it was letters, poems, or speeches, profound words were very important to him, as he was a deep thinker who could articulate moments beautifully.
Don is preceded in death by his parents, Otha and Alva Johnson, and his brother-in-law Jerry Bullard. He is survived by his brother, Otha Johnson, Jr (wife Karen); sister Debbie Bullard; and sister Brenda Blankenship (husband Tony); numerous nieces and nephews; and many other extended family members.
The family wishes to thank the Christian doctors and nurses of the VA Hospital for their compassion over the last several weeks; they not only provided care, but they also directly ministered to Don.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Don to the Blackhorse Association or the charity of the donor’s choice.
Follow this link to view a moving video tribute. If you watch, you will see many examples of his pride in the Blackhorse.
A Glimpse at the Regiment in the Early 1960s
Blackhorse Troopers: Tom Middaugh, by Don Snedeker.
When it comes to the Blackhorse, Tom Middaugh has been there and done that. He’s served in all three ground squadrons and on three different continents – E Troop, 2/11 in Germany; B Troop, 1/11 at Fort Meade, MD; and K Troop, 3/11 in Vietnam. He reported in to the Regiment for the first time after graduating from West Point with the Class of 1962 and was assigned to E Troop in Landshut near the West Germany- Czechoslovakia border. Tom shared the following memory with his West Point classmates.
“Having just returned from a month’s tour of duty along the Czechoslovakian border, I arrived at my Landshut Germany BOQ in time to scrub off the grime of rustic living in the field, suit up in formal blues and depart with my fellow officers of 2nd Squadron, 11th Armored Cav to attend what was a major German-American banquet hosted by our local civic leaders. We arrived and enjoyed cocktails with our gracious hosts who really seemed to appreciate our presence in town and our contributions to the community, perhaps motivated in part by President Kennedy’s famous ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’ speech several months earlier in June. The social interchange lasted for about an hour before sitting down to dinner. It was interesting that the seating plan was truly integrated, almost no Americans sat side by side. After the salad course and just as the entrees arrived a senior officer in the squadron came up behind this lowly 2nd Lt and whispered in my ear that the President had been shot, not to say anything, but on the CO’s signal, we were to immediately rise and depart as our unit had just been ordered to alert status. Several minutes later, and on cue, we all silently arose and made our way toward the banquet hall door. The silence was deafening! I could feel the pall set in on what had been a cheerful, good-natured evening. All I could hear was our footsteps on the hardwood floor. It took a good ten or fifteen seconds before our boss reached a microphone and announced that President Kennedy had been shot, and that we had been ordered back to our kaserne as our forces had been placed on the highest alert status. This was a Friday evening I will never forget. I don’t think we even knew yet whether or not Kennedy had died, being so far down the information chain. So it was back to combat gear waiting to hear if we were going to deploy, going to war, whatever. Alerts were serious business in those days. More than once we had been ordered to the field and remained in positions for days on end without knowing at platoon level what was going on, suggesting more than just another monthly alert or practice exercise. However, my most prominent memory of the evening of 22 November 1963, was the awkwardness of the moment, the shocked looks on the faces of our German friends and allies and the unanswered hush and utter stillness that blanketed our departure. My mind had swirled with thoughts of we Americans affronting our German neighbors, and the embarrassment I was beginning to feel until my CO reached the microphone and said his piece. The significance of losing our president had yet to cross my mind.”
M Company Fires a Memorial Salute to Fallen President Kennedy, Fort Skelley (2nd Squadron’s Kaserne) 1963.
AUSA SCHOLARSHIPS NOW OPEN DEADLINE JUNE 15, 2022
AUSA has opened applications for $340,000+ in AUSA member scholarships. There are 44 scholarships with values ranging from $48,000 to $2,000.
From tuition to books, certifications to college debt reduction, AUSA has the scholarship to cover your professional development.
Applications close June 15 with winners announced by October 15.
Details can be found at: https://www.ausa.org/scholarships
An Update from the Point Alpha Foundation
The Point Alpha Foundation has undergone considerable changes due both to changes in leadership and to the ongoing COVID pandemic. Details of these changes can be found here: https://www.blackhorse.org/news-from-the-point-alpha-foundation/.
From the Latest Ride-Along with the Blackhorse at Fort Irwin!
Here are some photos from the most recent Blackhorse veteran visit.
Participants included MG (Ret.) Silverthorn, LTC (Ret.) Steed (RCO’s Troop Commander), and Mr. David Paluso.
The visit was hosted by RXO MAJ Steve Holden and RADJ CPT Rob Francis on March 15, 2022. It started at 1000 in the Holder Conference Room with a briefing from RCO and viewing of the 121st Birthday Video. Later in the day, they visited the Horse Detachment for a demonstration/meet-and-greet, visited the Heritage Center, toured the regimental footprint, and then had dinner at the Garrison DFAC.
The next day, the group toured the box during decisive action rotation 22-05, had lunch with Troop leadership at UJEN, toured the Fusion Cell, and had parting words from the RCO.
NOTE: The next box tour is scheduled for May 19-20.
The Blackhorse Association Regimental Liaison Officer, Aaron Nelson, will be the point of contact for veterans interested in attending. Please contact him at tnanelson@nullmsn.comcreate new email, and he can provide additional information and assistance. This is a great opportunity to see the Regiment in action and get caught up on what the Regiment is doing today in support of our country and its freedom.
Shades of the Cold War
This is an interesting article of the scraping of air raid shelters in Fulda, and it mentions how the war in Ukraine has brought the lack of shelters back into the public eye.
2022 Reunion — Deadline for Hotel Reservations is May 2 
The 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment’s Blackhorse Association will hold its annual Blackhorse Family Reunion in Las Vegas, NV from June 9-12, 2022. It’s at this convenient location to maintain our connection to the regiment. The reunion is open to all past and present troopers (and their families) who served with the Regiment, anyone who served in the Regimental Community, anyone who served in any of the separate units that supported the Regiment, and friends of the association.
Reservations
We will be staying at The Orleans. Rooms have been set aside for reunion attendees. Rates for each night for each level of rooms are provided below:
Reservations must be made by May 2, 2022. You can book your rooms by using group code ABA2C05 on the Orleans reservation website at https://www.orleanscasino.com/groups or calling toll free at 800-675-3267.
To ensure there is no confusion, check your calendars and make certain to book the night you plan on arriving and the date you plan on leaving. If you fail to show, for example, because you booked your room for Tuesday, but your plane doesn’t arrive until Wednesday, you risk having your reservation cancelled as a no show. Double check your dates and book in advance. First come, first served.
Registration
The registration fee is $150 (all-inclusive) as well as Friday- or Saturday-only options at $85 per person. Children 12-and-under will be provided a free meal on Friday and Saturday nights. There is no late registration fee, but rooms cannot be guaranteed after May 2, 2022. The all-inclusive registration fee covers the Friday evening Stable Your Mount social and buffet, the Saturday buffet, and registration fee (AV equipment and Store support). Additional fees for the bus to Fort Irwin as well as the Golf Outing and Coin will be charged separately. Attendee transportation, including airfare, rental car, and lodging, must be organized separately. For more information, see www.blackhorse.org; or contact Scott Harrison at 813-944-8808, sharrson@nullgmail.comcreate new email. Keep up to date on Facebook at https://fb.me/e/1btYCteUd.
Register online at https://www.blackhorse.org/reunions/
Call for Donations: As we approach our 2022 Reunion in Las Vegas, the Blackhorse Association is requesting donations for the Silent Auction. Proceeds from the Silent Auction assist in funding our annual scholarships. We had a great response last year, and we ask that you set-aside items you wish to donate to the cause and ensure they travel with you. For items too bulky for your baggage, please send to the hotel for arrival no earlier than June 6.
Please use the following label and address:
Send us your Blackhorse-related news.
Do you have items of interest that are related to the Blackhorse? Please send them to Clint Ancker, Director of Communications, at banditsix@nullaol.com.
