More detail on this person: I served with Orman
E. Hicks or under him from Dec-59 to June-60 Fort
Campbell KY. He was a Maj then. We were in the
91st. Trans. CO. LT. Helicopter= 2 h-13 and i
think it was 18 or 20 H-34. The 91st left NY. On
June 10th. on the ship rose for Germany. Got to
England on June 15th. i know it was my
birthday=19 and could not get off ship. Got to
germany i think around the 20th. Got to
Schisseheim Army Airfield i think on the 22 it was
a Sat. Also on the base was the 18 and the 110th.
all with H-34 and H-13. We were in the 54TH.
Aviation BN. 7TH.Army Aviation Group 7TH. Army
and we supported the 23 Inf. Div. In May of 61 we
moved to our permanent Airfield Finthen Army
Airfield near Mainz in Schisseheim we were TDY.
At Finthen we supported two Airborne Battle
Groups from the 8th. DIV. On April 3-63 the 91ST.
was deactivated and became A CO. 8TH. Aviation
BN. 8th. DIV. I was suppose to rotate back to the
States June of 62 but i extended for 9 months. In
late i believe of 62 Hicks was promoted to LT.
COL. I saw him carrying his new hat. There was a
BN. on the Airfield not ours the was a heavy
maint. CO also a fixed wing CO and a CO with
HU-1A's. In Oct of 67 most of the Airfields were
closed and 7th. Army Aviation came to a end.
I separated from the Army 1-6-63 Hon discharge
26-8-65. Kollman C. Kollman E-4 S/P 4. RA
12593228
Hicks ran the company like we were in West point
spit an polish all the way RA all the way. You
would need to change your fatigues for work
formation after lunch to pass and the Old Man was
at all formations on Friday it was a Command
formation and the Officers just loved that. And
ever morning was pt and a run and the Old Man was
right there with us. Others looked at us and would
say that shit was left in basic. But all the shit
he gave us was right it made us proud of our
company and it made us hard and strong we were
better Soldiers for it.
Here are some true facts about Hicks that are not
in print. We are in Germany out in the field and
tactical what else 7th. Army was known as the
field Army. It is chow time and there is a chow
line Hicks spots some Officers in the line. Well
he does a dance on them for all to see and hear.
He tells them no Officer eats before the last
enlisted man has gone through the chow line. At
Campbell we are having a Command Maint. Insp. by
Div. 101st. Inspecting Office is a LT. COL. Hicks
Reports to him then tell him for all to hear. Sir
i am sorry but you can't insp. my CO. the worse
solider in my Co. looks better then you. He then
turns to the First SGT. and tells him to dismiss
the company and have them fall out. We had an
SFC. that had a problem that wanted to get back to
the States and he pulled some bad shit. Hicks
made it known he was not going to get a transfer.
Hicks did everything he could to Court Marshal him
and bust him down to PVT. The SGT. got his
transfer and was not busted. What Hicks did not
know is this SGT. was in the Batan Death March
and these Soldiers could not be touched.
The 91st at Campbell was like a family we had a
company MESS with a jute box in it. After dinner
you could stay drink coffee smoke and play the
box. If you were out of money you could do this
all day on Saturday and Sunday. Most of the NCOs
were good and looked out after you. We had two a
SFC and a master SGT. that were in charge of
nothing, so all they did was go around and break
balls. These two ass holes were good old boy's
need I say more We had 44 Warrant Officers and 5
Commissioned Officers all were good but for one
First LT. that thought his shit did not stink.
They all showed respect for the men. We also had
103 enlisted men in the Co. The 329TH. Field Maint
supported us and had A First LT. as a CO. Hicks
called them his fourth Platoon and this First LT.
hated that.
I look back and have good memories and think this
is where i belonged in the Army. I know now i was
not cut out for civilian life being married and
having kids. I also know with my MOS A 675.30
Crew Chief on a H-34 Chopper i stood a good
chance of my name on the wall down in
Washington or a guest of Charley in one of his
hotels.
Believe me when i tell you there were no slackers
in Hicks's CO. This meant NCOs and Officers. If
fucked up he would find a detail for all at night
or the week end. Most of my time at Finthen I was
TDY to BN. HQ. not my BN. but the one at the
Airfield. All the outfits had to send people to
BN. HQ. to be in a Unite known as UP'S United
Police. I volunteered for this and why. I got away
from Hicks plus no KP, Guard Duty Field Duty and i
had a 24 hour pass meaning no bed check at
24:00. We did gate duty roving patrol Flag up and
down. I don't know the reason, but MP'S were not
permitted on the Airfield. They would drive up to
the gate and test us.
Now to answerer you question yes Hicks served in
Vietnam he retired after 31 years of service a
Full Bird COL. His permenit rank in grade was
corpral. Taps have been played for him.
I always support my Military and Country the
Government when it deserves it. I now look back at
the Vietnam war and say for what. Why did 600,000
brave people have to die. They died at the hands
of a bunch of policical ass holes who tied there
hands and would not let them fight as they were
trained to fight. What will the Government do when
there are no more brave then this will not be the
land of the free.
Presently in the Free Republic of the Ukraine. Can
you believe it, this once was the Soviet Ukraine a
Socialist Republic of the Soviet Union. How many
years were we fighting them!!!!
From: Charley Kollman <18sophia@live.com>
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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