Lonnie Ortega Aviation Art

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 Print Size 8½” x 11” ----- Unlimited print edition

HISTORY OF THE 25th AVIATION BATTALION

The unit was originally stationed at Ft Benning, Georgia, as the 125th Aviation Battalion. On the 14th of March, 1966 the battalion left Ft. Benning by air for Oakland, California. At Oakland, they boarded the troop ship, USNS Upshur, a reconditioned cruise ship. One member of the battalion that had served in WWII remembered crossed the Atlantic on this same ship. The ship left Oakland on the Ides of March, 1966 along with various other units bound for Viet Nam. Enroute, the 125th Aviation Battalion was changed to A Company, 25th Aviation Battalion, 25th Infantry Division. The ship dropped off accompanying units all along the coast of South Vietnam from Cam Rahn Bay to Vung Tau. The 25th Aviation Battalion disembarked at Vung Tau, a resort area south of Saigon. There, they boarded C130 cargo planes for the ride to Ton Son Nhut airfield at Saigon. The battalion's own helicopters, which had been shipped over earlier, transported the battalion from Ton Son Nhut to their new home at Cu Chi, about 25 miles to the northwest. Company A began calling themselves the Little Bears after a pet a Honey Bear that was kept in a cage in the company area.

The bear became something of an attraction, and Charleton Heston stopped by to see it while on tour that year.

Members of the "Little Bears" stenciled the image of a bear standing upright clutching a lightning bolt (from the 25th Infantry Division shoulder patch) onto the nose and side posts with white paint on all 25 of their UH1D Huey's. They also had patches made up that were then sewn on their fatigue shirt pockets.