“Ace Cozzalio is the reason I am here today,” Winsett says. “He was the finest soldier and bravest man I have ever known. And, he was an inspiration to all who knew him.” Cobra gunships After flying with the Warwagon Scouts for eight months, Ace transitioned to Cobra gunships. Armed with heavy firepower, the gunships flew at a higher altitude to cover the scouts on the ground below. About this time, Major Brennon Swindell assumed command of Lighthorse. Swindell was in the OAMC Class of 1955. “Ace was an exceptional pilot and a charismatic leader with a ‘follow me’ attitude that inspired confidence within the troop,” Swindell says. “For that reason, I gave him command of the Crusader Gunship platoon.” Doughnut Dollies Sherry Giles was about to graduate from OSU when she read an article about the Red Cross Supplemental Recreational Activities Overseas program. The program’s goal was to boost the morale of U.S. combat troops in Vietnam. She requested an application and, to her surprise, received an airline ticket to
Former OSU student Sherry Giles met Ace Cozzalio when she served with the Red Cross in Vietnam. They married after the war.
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St. Louis for an interview. Several months later, she arrived in Vietnam wearing the powder blue SRAO uniform. Although they had many duties, the women were affectionately known as Doughnut Dollies. Shortly after her arrival at Dong Tam, Sherry met Ace Cozzalio at the Officers Club and they became good friends. With the war as the backdrop, their friendship developed into a love story that culminated in marriage after they returned from Vietnam. “Ace was a very positive, goal-oriented person and a role model for all who knew him,” Giles says. “He encouraged everyone, including me, to maximize his or her potential. He often advised, ‘Never be satisfied with the status quo. Instead, always look for a better way.’ ” Where are they today? Ace Cozzalio had a brilliant career in the Army, attaining the rank of lieutenant colonel before he was diagnosed with heart problems and medically retired with 20 years of service. He died at age 46 after undergoing a heart transplant. Sherry Giles Cozzalio Taylor earned a master’s degree in early childhood education from Sul Ross State University in Alpine,
The late Captain Frank Bryan and former OSU student Gary Winsett, right, were in Lighthorse Air Cavalry with Ace Cozzalio in Vietnam. Drafted into the U.S. Army as a student, Winsett’s three sons graduated from OSU.