Honorary Comanchero

Kevin Buckley is hereby on this, the forth day of December 2007 inducted as an honorary member of the Comanchero Flight, and may from this day forward, refer to himself as a “Comanchero, A Company, 101st Aviation Battalion”; and will, from this day forward, be greeted as a “Comanchero Brother” by all the men and women who have earned this honored distinction.

In recognition for his sincere thoughtfulness and open display of gratefulness having been rescued from Delta One landing zone by the Comancheros of A/101 Assault Helicopter Battalion, 101st Aviation Group, 101st Airborne Division, on 3 March 1971 during the largest and most horrific heliborne operation of the Vietnam War known as Lam Son 719; and further, highlighting the actions of the Comancheros in his Newsweek article, “Just Say It Was The Comancheros”, which appeared in the March 15, 1971 issue.

Kevin Buckley, then the Newsweek Saigon Bureau Chief, has forever immortalized the name of this honorable aviation unit, the Comancheros, and has forever immortalized the heroic deeds of the soldiers who brought life, camaraderie, and esprit de corps to the name “Comancheros” during the Vietnam War and whose legacy lives on to this day with the Comancheros of A Company, 4th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).

Declared by the A/101 Aviation Association, Inc Trustees; Richard A. Bittle, President/Trustee, Gil Jones, Secretary/Trustee, Chuck Luczynski/ Treasurer/Trustee, and Trustees Chuck Slezak, Don Kennedy and Tom Halligan

 

Kevin Buckley during his Honorary Comanchero induction ceremony, Newsweek Bldg, NY City DEC 04, 2007. Kevin was presented with a Comanchero Hat, Red Comanchero Lighter, a framed "A/101 Avn Legacy" print and a flight jacket with Comanchero Patch, Saigon Bureau Chief and Buckley name tag.

The following are photos were taken by Comancheros and Newsweek photographer Cliff Chase during the induction ceremony.

Photograph by Cliff Chase, Newsweek Magazine

Honaray Comanchero Kevin Buckley

Photograph by Cliff Chase, Newsweek Magazine

Glen "Rick" Nichols, Robert Clewell, Kevin Buckley, Pete Federovich and Ron Kuhn

Photograph by Cliff Chase, Newsweek Magazine

Kevins new Comanchero Hat

Photograph by Cliff Chase, Newsweek Magazine

Jay Tate presents a Comanchero Flight jacket with Comanchero patch and name tag to Kevin Buckley.

Photograph by Cliff Chase, Newsweek Magazine

Jay Tate and Richard Bittle present a framed "A/101 Aviation Legacy" print to Kevin Buckley.

Photograph by Cliff Chase, Newsweek Magazine

Honorary Comanchero Kevin Buckley

Photograph by Cliff Chase, Newsweek Magazine

Richard Bittle reads the honorary Comanchero plague

Photograph by Rick Nichols

Jon Meacham, Newsweek's Editor, Robert Clewell and Pete Federovich watch the ceremony.

Photograph by Rick Nichols

Jay Tate presents a Comanchero Hat, Comanchero Lighter, framed "A/101 Avn Legacy" print and flight jacket with Comanchero Patch , name tag to Kevin Buckley.

Photograph by Rick Nichols

Honorary Comanchero Kevin Buckley

Photograph by Rick Nichols

Jay Tate presents a Comanchero Eagle Bell to Ron Kuhn

Photograph by Rick Nichols

This is the view from the 21st floor of the Newsweek bldg, "Top of the Week" overlooking Central Park, NYC

Photograph by Rick Nichols

Statue of Liberty

Photograph by Rick Nichols

Park after dark

Photograph by Rick Nichols

Richard Bittle, Ron Kuhn and Rick Nichols

Photograph by Rick Nichols

Ron Kuhn and Rick Nichols

Photograph by Rick Nichols

Empire State Building

Photograph by Rick Nichols

Rick Nichols, Ron Kuhn and Richard Bittle Empire State Building

Photograph by Rick Nichols

NYC Skyline

Photograph by Rick Nichols

Rick Nichols

Photograph by Rick Nichols

Tall mast in the harbor

Photograph by Rick Nichols

Tall ship "Peking" in a NYC harbor

Photograph by Richard Bittle

Mr and Mrs Rick Nichols

Photograph by Richard Bittle

Nichols and Bob Clewell

Photograph by Richard Bittle

View from the top of the Empire State Building

Photograph by Richard Bittle

View from the top of the Empire State Building

Photograph by Richard Bittle

View from the top of the Empire State Building

Photograph by Richard Bittle

View from the top of the Empire State Building

Photograph by Richard Bittle

View from the top of the Empire State Building

Photograph by Richard Bittle

View from the top of the Empire State Building

Photograph by Richard Bittle

Richard Bittle, from the top of the Empire State Building

Photograph by Richard Bittle

Ron Kuhn and Rick Nichols on top of the Empire State Building

Photograph by Richard Bittle

View from the top of the Empire State Building

Photograph by Richard Bittle

View from the top of the Empire State Building

Photograph by Richard Bittle

View from the top of the Empire State Building

Photograph by Richard Bittle

Ron Kuhn on the top of the Empire State Building

Photograph by Richard Bittle

New Jersey view of the city.

Photograph by Richard Bittle

View of the Empire State Building from the street

Photograph by Richard Bittle

Ron Kuhn and Rick Nichols

Photograph by Richard Bittle

Ron Kuhn and Rick Nichols

Photograph by Richard Bittle

Ron Kuhn and his new hat

Photograph by Richard Bittle

Rick Nichols

 

 

Copyright © 2007 A/101 AVN. All rights reserved.
Revised: 03/18/08.