"Bill Haponski" <haponski@seacove.net> was a former S3 and XO ofthe Blackhorse when he assumed command of the 1/4 Cav in the Spring of 1969.  He wrote: 

The Quarter Horse worked with the Blackhorse cavalry on many occasions in Vietnam

Bill, Happy holidays to all the 1/4 cav gang. This year , as always since then, my thoughts of Christmas turn to the only one that Ive ever spent away from my family. Christmas '68 in Vietnam. 3rd plt of A troop
was in Lai Khe at the time. I was feeling really bad, spent too many hours on Christmas eve night drinking too many beers at "the club". Realizing that no amount of alcohol was going to drown my feelings of homesickness, I went out to where our tracks and tanks were all sitting on line. There were a few guys sitting there. From there I could see the moon. The thought occurred to me that perhaps my family, half a world away , was looking up at the moon at that same time. That possibility, however slight gave me a great deal of comfort. With that comfort came the knowledge Id been seeking on how to ease my lonliness and capture some degree of holiday spirit. I climbed up onto my ACAV and stood on the back deck facing the rear , out towards the group of guys. A voice called out in the darkness "Watts, what are you doing? Get
down before you break your fool neck" I ignored it and began to sing "Silent Night". "Watts, I said get down and shut up" Still I ignored him and kept singing. "Watts...." "Leave him alone and let him sing " came another
unknown voice " he sounds pretty good to me" So I kept on singing, whatever Christmas hymns came to mind. Others began to join me as still others joined the crowd. I don't remember how long I went on singing or who was in the crowd that had gathered. Too many beers at the time and too many years since have very successfully clouded my memory. I do remember however, that those Christmas carols were just what the Doctor ordered for getting me through that tough time. I hope that other guys might remember this , in order to verify that its not something Ive made up. It really did happen.

Jim Watt
1/4 Cav