Mataxis Jr., Theodore C. Ride to the Sound of the Guns

The Life of a Cold War Warrior

Ted Mataxis, an adrenaline junkie, was a tireless volunteer who served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. After only three and a half years in the army, he was a battalion commander in brutal combat with the 2nd Battalion, 276th Infantry Regiment, 70th Infantry Division Trail Blazers during the last German offensive in the winter of 1944. In the spring of 1945, he took part in the breakthrough of the Siegfried Line and the subsequent pursuit to Bavaria. He volunteered for service in the Pacific for the invasion of Japan and was on his way there when the atomic bombs were dropped. He returned to Europe to serve in the occupation forces and witnessed the beginning of the Cold War in Berlin. In 1950, he attended the Indian Army Staff College and then served in Kashmir with the United Nations peacekeeping mission. He then volunteered for the Korean War, where he commanded a regiment during the fierce fighting for Triangle, T-Bone and Pork Chop Hills at the age of 36. This was followed by an early deployment to Vietnam as senior advisor to the ARVN commanding general of II Corps during the 16 months that marked the escalation of fighting with the introduction of North Vietnamese regular army regiments. After the arrival of American troops in February 1966, he became deputy commander of the 1st Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division. After serving in Iran, he volunteered for a second tour in Vietnam, where he served first as deputy division commander and then as acting division commander. In 1971, with only one day's notice, he was assigned to head the Military Equipment Delivery Team for Cambodia (MEDT-C). From there, he retired in 1972. During the Afghanistan War, he became field representative/coordinator for a committee for a free Afghanistan and spent time behind the lines with the mujahideen, where he was known as the old American general who brought them Stinger missiles. When he got too old to run with the young dogs, he ended his career as a professor at the American Military University, where he passed on his experience and mentored young military personnel.