5th Cavalry Regiment (United States)

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5th Cavalry Regiment
5th Cavalry Regiment coat of arms
Active	May 28 1855-
Country	United States
Branch	Regular Army
Type	Cavalry
Motto	Loyalty Courage
Colors	Yellow
Battles/wars	Indian Wars US Civil War World War II Korean War Vietnam War Operation Desert Storm Operation Desert Shield
Commanders
Notable commanders	Robert E. Lee Albert Sidney Johnson Earl Van Dorn William J. Hardee George H. Thomas Wesley Merritt George Stoneman Edmund Kirby Smith John Bell Hood Fitzhugh Lee
Insignia
Distinctive Unit Insignia

U.S. Cavalry Units
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U.S. 4th Cavalry Regiment	U.S. 6th Cavalry Regiment

The 5th Cavalry Regiment is a historical unit of the United States Army that began its service in the decade prior to the American Civil War and continues in modified organizational format in the modern army.

1 19th Century
2 20th Century
3 21st Century
4 References

[edit] 19th Century

The regiment's history began over a century ago, organizing on May 28, 1855 as the 2nd United States Cavalry Regiment at Louisville, Kentucky. A few months later, on September 27, 1855, under the command of Col. Albert Sidney Johnston, the regiment marched west to Texas to fight in its first Indian Campaign. Later on, Lt. Col. Robert E. Lee succeeded Colonel Johnston as the commander. The regiment fought in a total of thirteen Indian Campaigns, symbolized by the arrow head shaped regimental crest.

Other officers of the regiment who became prominent in the American Civil War besides Johnson and Lee were Majors William J. Hardee and George H. Thomas; Captains Earl Van Dorn, George Stoneman, and Edmund Kirby Smith; and Lieutenants John Bell Hood and Fitzhugh Lee.

Early in 1861, the regiment went to Carlisle Barracks, where the officers and men loyal to the South left the regiment to serve in the Confederacy. Lieutenant Colonel Lee was replaced by Lt. Col. George Henry Thomas. In the summer of 1861, the regiment was re-designated as the 5th United States Cavalry; the numerical designation it holds to this day. During the Civil War, the troopers of the 5th Cavalry made a gallant charge at Gaines' Mill on June 27, 1862, saving the Union artillery from annihilation. This battle is commemorated on the regimental crest by the Cross moline, in the yellow field on the lower half of the crest.

During the Plains Indian Wars, the 5th Cavalry played an active role in pursuing Sioux and Cheyenne warbands that refused to return to their reservations. Under the leadership of Col. Wesley Merritt, a distinguished Civil War officer, the 5th was instrumental in defeating the Indians at the Battle of Slim Buttes. It was the first significant victory for the army following the debacle at Little Bighorn.

At the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, the 5th Cavalry was ordered to Tampa, Florida, and then embarked for Cuba. The regiment's service in this war and later for the Puerto Rican Expedition is symbolized by the White Maltese cross in the black chief of the upper half of the regimental coat of arms.

[edit] 20th Century

The 5th Cavalry returned to the United States in 1900. The regiment served in the Philippine Islands and in Hawaii in 1903 and 1909 respectively. In 1913, the regiment returned to the United States, where it stayed during World War I, patrolling the Mexican border. On 18 December 1922, the 5th Cavalry Regiment became part of the 1st Cavalry Division, and has served with this division ever since.

Having exchanged horses for vehicles in 1943, the men of the 5th Cavalry Regiment spent World War II in the jungles of the South Pacific. After the war, the regiment was garrisoned in Japan. In July 1950, the regiment was sent to South Korea to serve with other United Nations forces. After one and a half years of combat, the regiment returned to Japan in 1951, but not before 3 members of the regiment had earned the nation's highest award, the Medal of Honor* (Lloyd L. Burke (October 28), 1951), Samuel S. Coursen (December 12, 1950), and Robert M. McGovern (January 30, 1951)).

The regiment was once again reorganized in August 1963, as the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment. The battalion arrived at Fort Benning in 1965, and then proceeded to the Republic of Vietnam as air cavalry. In Vietnam, it participated in twelve campaigns. In May 1971, the battalion moved to Fort Hood, where it was reorganized as mechanized infantry.

On 12 August 1990, the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment was alerted for duty in Southwest Asia. It deployed with the 1st Cavalry Division to Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Desert Shield / Operation Desert Storm.

The battalion was deployed in Bosnia-Herzegovina in September 1998.

It is important to note the 5th CAVALRY Regiment was attached to the 1st Cavalry Division. Another unit, the 5th INFANTRY regiment, or 5th Regimental Combat Team (5th RCT) is often confused with the 5th Cavalry Regiment. As a result, some honors (notably Distinguished Service Cross citations) mistakenly attribute action by members of the 5th RCT/24th Division to the 5th Cav/1st Cavalry Division.

The 5th RCT arrived in Korea soon after ground troops began fighting in July 1950. Referred to as a "bastard unit," the 5th RCT was quickly moved around to where it was most needed until it replaced the 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, in late August 1950. The 5th RCT remained with the 24th ID through January 1952, when the Division was rotated back to Japan.

2LT Carl H Dodd, 5th Infantry Regiment/RCT, received the Medal of Honor for actions on January 30 and 31, 1951. Another 5th RCT member who received the MOH was MSG Melvin O Handrich, for actions August 25 and 26, 1950.

[edit] 21st Century

The battalion was deployed again, this time to Kuwait in April 2001.

The "Black Knights" returned to Southwest Asia in March 2004 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II. Task Force LANCER was assigned responsibility for Sadr City, in the north-eastern portion of Baghdad, Iraq. The battalion conducted over 80 days of sustained combat during the initial months of the deployment. After another 30 days of combat, the task force focused on rebuilding the infrastructure and training Iraqi security forces. These efforts contributed to the success of Iraq's first free elections in January 2005.