Major Pete

Company A

227th Assault Helicopter Battalion

1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile)

Major Darwin "Pete" Petersen
by Bob Witt, A/227

I won't forget the night (about my 15th day in country) when Joe Potvin talked me into pointing a Chunker into the air behind our tent and pulling the trigger. "It'll be OK because the round is shaved down to just the primer."
Yea right!
Minutes later I was standing at attention in the presence of Major Pete in his tent. He looked at me a minute, probably thinking that he had been saddled with another dumb ass teen age Warrant Officer. Maj. Pete was about 37 years old when he was CO. I was only 20. As he began chewing me a new one he did have a slight smile under his steel gaze. I left minus some pride, ego, rear end, and fortunately no Article 15,
So I was there to watch as Major Pete led us into Khe Sanh to relieve the Marines, and then later into the A Shau Valley. Major Pete & Clyde French leading the 1CAV into the A Shau and LZ Tiger is something I will never forget.
Not long after the A Shau, during an impact awards ceremony, Major Pete stood behind General Tolson as the General asked why my fatigues were brand new, This was the end of April, I Told him that I had graduated from flight school 13 February The General & Major Pete exchanged glances and he pinned the award on me.
I didn't deserve anything. Mike Dubberly (Silver Star) had done all the work. As the General turned towards Mike, Major Pete smiled at me and winked.
That was the most important award I received.
The night before Major Pete went home we had a going away party. There was lots of fun and laughter, with many visitors from around the Division. One of our company traditions was called "Screech". This was a brew that was a mixture of anything alcoholic that we could find. It derived its name because supposedly after two drinks all that you could do was "Screech".
The Major had a great time and I would dare say enjoyed the refreshments. As a result later in the evening he began to wrestle everyone in sight. He then ran out of the tent shouting "PUMA".
For most of the night as we all ran around the Company area searching for him he would jump from behind tents or sandbag walls and pounce on any unfortunate victim he could find, wrestle them to the ground and shout "PUMA", then disappear into the darkness again. It did not matter if the victim was an E-4 crew chief, or a Staff Major. He grabbed me twice, all I could think was that he was strong and agile. Were considerably younger than he was, and he whipped us all.
In the early morning hours I recall several guys transporting the Major to his tent.
The next morning the Company stood in formation as General Tolson pinned the Silver Star (For the Project Delta Rescue mission - I wasn't with Alpha Company when the Project Delta Mission went down, what I heard about it was astounding.) on Major Pete's Uniform. I think the General realized that everyone, including the Major, was very hung over.
Major Pete was what all of us young aviators wanted to be, a man's man, and a true hero. It was an honor to serve under his command.

Darwin A. Petersen, Colonel, US Army Retired, passed away on the 2nd of June, 2008, after a two year battle with Cancer.
He served 26 years on active duty and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery