Cayuga (LST 1186) - Naval Cruise Book

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-.■■ .. atf«CT»)mt . ' . ai- »ma aa-e»fcMaw(r»«w«K»«mi»nM«iu«»Miai warn AAV PLATOON BLT 1 4 s AAV Platoon hails from A co 3rd AABn and is led by 1 stLt P.W. Gushing, platoon commander, and Gysgt E. J. Nich- olas, platoon sgt. These two individuals hand picked the platoon ensuring that every talent and capability was covered. In the end, they had created a highly motivated, professionally trained and elite fighting force. During the pre-float training cycle the AAV Platoon accept) and surpassed all challenges brought before them. The motiv tion and can-do attitude carried themselves into the float whei the AAV ' s continued to charge ahead in any clime or place, proi ing that AAV trackers are indeed ELITE. YAT-YAS: YOU AINf TRACKS - YOU AIN ' T $! Front row: Sgt Craft, Lcpl Axness, Cpl Grames, Lcpl Heetland, Lcpl Collins, Cpl Williams, Lcpl Crosby, Lcpl Tarrell, Lcpl Wells. Second row: Sgt Boland, Cpl Cohron, Cpl White, Cpl Coppotelli, Lcpl Smith, Cpl Bainbridge, Lcpl Cote, Lcpl Piper, Lcpl Abner, Lcpl Larson, Cpl Fitzko. Hear roiv.Gysgt Nicholas, IstLt Gushing, Ss Aparicio, Cpl Biallier, Cpl Greene, Cpl Sebastian, Cpl Johnso Lcpl James. Lcpl Mann, Lcpl Koob. Sgt Adkins. Cpl Barnhous Hn McMillian, Ssgt Chase, Sgt Lauriano, Ssgt Sam, Ssgt Hartle PLATOON COMMANDER 1 St Lt Peter W. Gushing is a grad- uate of UCLA vi ith a degree in Fine Art. He v( as commissioned on 14 August 1987 and has attended OCS, The Basic School, and Am- track Officer ' s Course. This is his second overseas deployment as a platoon commander. 1st Lt Gush- ing is a native of Santa Barbara, California. PLATOON SERGEANT GySgt E. J. NICHOLAS h, served over 16 years in the M rine Corps. Past units include Company 2nd AA Bn, G-1 3 Mar Div, Schools Bn, D Gomp ny 3rd AABn, 7th MAB 29 Palrr and Marine Barracks 8th and GySgt Nicholas is from Penn grobe. New Jersey and has wife, Carolyn, and three childre Wendy, Ernie and Matthew. I I i 60

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Off in tfie distance, There came sucfi a sound. Bullets were flying, People running around. It hadn ' t lasted long. Before it was done. Havoc was struck, By an M60 machine gun. Bodies were lying, From pillar to post. Few of them were living, A couple at most. When all said and done. The objective was bare. Everyone had known. The Meo had been there. When asked how it feels. I tell everyone, It ' s an honor and a privilege to be a thirty-one.

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SECTION LEADERS, left to right; SSgt Aparicio 1st, SSgt Sam HQ, SSgt Hartley 2nd, SSgt Chase 3rd. AAV ' s hard at work