Since the 1st Aviation Brigade was airmobile and had cavalry units assigned to it (the 7th of the 17th for the 17th Aviation Group), I have always had an affinity towards the cavalry. Here is a poorly touched-up picture of a Civil War reenactment in Jackson, Michigan some years back.

bet they played hell getting them horses loaded up in those Huey's?

Goes to show how much Hollywood knows about the US Army I remember how mad my Dad would get when he saw a Indian & US Calvry movie he would mudder the Army does not buy White Horses.

Gunny, that is why we had Chinooks. Our company actually carried an elephant once.

Sully1: This was the Michigan Brigade and were not Federal, though Custer did command them. Notice the red bandana? Though you were not refering to this picture.

ONe of the horses fell that day and a rider got a broken leg.

learned something new today.....like the Air Cav having Chinooks! Just hope you weren't the guy that got handed the shovel after the flight!

Harry does the red Bandanna reprsent the Mich.Brigade.I went to a Mountainman meet up in Wyo. and they had the Custer renactment was pretty good.I think I was kinda mumbling when I saw all of the dark Horses in the photo just remembering what my Father had said about the US Army not buying White Horses and how he always saw the Hollywood Good Guys always riding White Horses even in the Army.By the way what does not Federal enough mean.

Sully, not Federal, means the Michigan Brigade was a State Militia, not a Union entity.

As for revering Custer as a Cavalry Leader is somewhat embarassing. An arrogant leader that led J Troops to Cavalry-wide extinction. To clarify, no Cavalry Regiment (1st Cav is a Division Cavalry, not a Regiment) has a J Troop. Colonel Custer lost all of his men, and his Guidon. That is why no J Troop exists. Only one Cav Trooper was reclaimed from the fight, by the 3rd U.S. Cavalry; a lone horse named Commanche. Whose visage still remains at Fort Carson, Colorado, on the back of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment's Headquarter's Building.

Another fun fact: More traditions and impact on the U.S. Army's heritage comes from cavalry units, than any other source! The lighter blue pants on dress blues, the gatling gun, the carbine, the saber, etc.

And last a bit of Cav Trivia!! What are the only two, oldest, continuously active units in the U.S. Army?

CavScout -Don't know much about the US Army my Dad was 1st ID in France WW1 but I was born in the West I know quite a lot about our History out here I know most of the real Story about Custer at the Little Big Horn.I saw a program last night on the Discovery Channell where they have been excavating the Battle site of Custer's Last Stand after they had a fire that had made it very easy to recover a lot of information that was not available before.

Sully, what I meant by not Federal was that they were organized as state units and not regular army units, though, they were under Federal control. The whole rank system was both state and Federal and confusing at best.

There are no Company/Troop/Battery Js in the US Army.

1st Infantry, 1791
2nd Infantry, 1808
3rd Infantry, 1784
4th Infantry, 1812
5th Infantry, 1808
All subsequent infantry regiments 1812 or after.

The oldest mounted units were dragoons.

1st Cavalry, 1833
2nd Cavalry, 1836
3rd Cavalry, ?

1st Artillery, 1802

Adjutant General Corps, 1775 (This post dates the formation of infantry and artillery units which were militia units.)

Harry-I was under the impression from what my Father said was when he went to France in 1917 he belonged to American Exp.Force where the 1st ID was formed.Was it not true that the United Army had almost been completely dis-mantled before WW1.

Sully:

Because they were active did not mean that they were at full strength.

HarryP-

The 3rd Cavalry was formed in 1846 by Act of Congress to raise a unit of mounted Riflemen. The first unit of its kind. Originally designated the Regiment of Mounted Riflemen, not designated 3rd U.S. Cavalry until August 1861.

The 2nd and 3rd Cavalry Regiments are the oldest, continously active units in the US Army. They are the only two that have never been deactivated for any period since their creation. (Although one may say the deactivation of a squadron or troop of the parent unit can be considered a deactivation)

CavScout: They were originally called Dragoons.

1st Inf inactivated Jan 1948 thru Oct 1950
2nd Inf inactivated Sep 1946 thru Jul 1947
3rd Inf inactivated Nov 1946 thru Apr 1948
4th Inf inactiveted Jan 1947 thru Oct 1948
5th Inf inactivated Nov 1946 thru Jan 1949
6th Inf never inactivated but broken up 1944 and then reactivated 1950 (formed in 1812)

7th Inf Organized 1812 and never inactivated (unless after the 1980s)

I only have one infantry reference book on regimental histories and like all history, it may not be as correct as one would hope.

HarryP: Yes, they were called dragoons, but never the 3rd Cavalry. They were not Dragoons, they were organized in a similar fashion; but carried percussion cap rifles, not smoothbore carbines like Dragoons. Hence, Regiment of Mounted Rifleman.

For unit histories, some excellent resources are publications from each branches Institute of Heraldry, and Unit Museums scattered among the posts.

CavScout: I did look for more info on the 3rd Cav but time did not permit enough to really do any good. Real history is sometimes hard to pick up because of a bit of salesmanship involved!

I will do more research. My Infantry Regiment book was published in 1986 and I have never found one on other branches. Maybe I will have time to add to my library of limited knowledge.

I did find this and will read: http://www.carson.army.mil/UNITS/3RD%20ACR/main%20pages/HOMEPAGE.htm

This message has been edited. Last edited by: HarryP,

HarryP: If you would like, I'll track down some contact numbers for some of the research centers at the 3rd Cav Musuem and Infantry Musuem. They have excellent resources.

The National Infantry Musuem at Ft. Benning
(706) 545-6762
They might be able to help a bit, I'd think.
I'm not sure if each branch has its own historical library or not. So I will do a little homework myself. Even my 3rd ACR Regimental History is from 1999, so its a bit outdated in the scheme of current global actions.

quote:

"Brave Rifles! Veterans! You have been baptized in Fire and Blood, and come out Steel!"

CavScout,
Your sig line reminds me of my SIL who is with the 3rd ACR out of Ft. Carson. The flag he gave me (that fly's in my front yard) says "3rd Armored Calvery Regiment-Brave Rifles- Blood and Steel"

CM

I was in 3rd ACR at Carson, that was my Cav Home. The sig line is our Regimental Accolade from Gen. Winfield Scott after the battle of Chapultec. It has shortened into the Regimental Motto of "Brave Rifles! Blood and Steel!"
Depending on when he was there, I might have known him. I was in Tiger, or 1st Squadron; and also served in the Regt. HQ S-3 section.