GARRYOWEN
By: Rich Fisher

Central Highlands, South Vietnam: 1966 M-79 Grenadier (Specialist) 7th Cavalry Regiment 1st Air Cavalry Division "Garryowen" is an old Irish folk tune and was the unofficial marching song of George Armstrong Custer's 7th Cavalry. As legend has it, Custer heard some of his Irish troopers singing it and liked the cadence so much that he began to use it on the march. The song was used so often that the 7th Cavalry became known as "the Garryowen Regiment". The song still exists today and in 1981 it became the official song of the 1st Cavalry Division. In 1965 this song and the history of the 7th Cavalry went to Vietnam. The troopers of the 7th Cavalry had an elan and dash not seen since Custer. The rallying cry of "Garryowen" would be heard from troopers about to embark on a mission. The 7th's helicopter pilots would wear their Custer-era wide brim cavalry hats when not flying. It was not uncommon to see a trooper in full 1870's cavalry dress, blowing the traditional bugle charge as troop-laden helicopters took off for battle. In 1965 the 7th Cavalry, as part of the 1st Air Cavalry Division, went to Vietnam to prove that the revolutionary concept of "air-mobility" would work. Helicopters could move troopers in and out of enemy held territory and in the process keep the enemy off balance. It didn't take long to put the theory of "air-mobility" into practice. In November 1965, troopers from this same 7th Cavalry landed in a valley in the Central Highlands called Ia Drang. 400 American soldiers were about to take on 2000 NVA (North Vietnamese Army) regulars. This was the first pitched battle between American and NVA troops. What resulted was 3 days of ferocious fighting (some of it hand-to-hand). At the end of the engagement, the 7th Cavalry was still on the field and not the NVA. There would be no "Little Big Horn" in Vietnam. Reports state that the 7th Cavalry inflicted over 1200 casualties on the NVA forces. It was a tremendous victory. The 1st Air Cavalry Division would continue to serve with distinction throughout the Vietnam conflict. Today, the legendary 7th Cavalry is part of the US 3rd Infantry Division. In March and April of 2003, they were at the cutting edge of the 3rd ID's advance on Baghdad. Wherever he is, Custer is looking down with pride at his old unit, and I'm sure he is humming "Garryowen". Note: If you would like to hear the famous tune "Garryowen" go to: http://www.contemplator.com/folk/gowen.html This figure is a basic kitbash with some minor customizing thrown in. The figure, H-harness, grenades, ammo pouches, and NVA helmet are all 21st. The GI helmet, uniform, boots, M-79 and all gear are SOTW. The flashlight is from Dragon. The body armor is from Hasbro. The Air Cav and rank patches are from Patches of Pride. For a final touch, I hand painted the helmet medallion on the NVA pith helmet to the proper red and gold that it should be. I also created a properly scaled helmet band for the GI helmet.

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