| 17th Cavalry Regiment | |
|---|---|
17th Cavalry coat of arms |
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| Active | 1916- |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | Cavalry, Aviation |
| Type | Cavalry |
| Motto | Forward |
| Colors | Yellow |
| Engagements | World War II Vietnam War Operation Urgent Fury Operation Just Cause Operation Desert Storm Operation Restore Hope Operation Iraqi Freedom |
| Insignia | |
| Distinctive Unit Insignia | |
| U.S. Cavalry Regiments | |
|---|---|
| Previous | Next |
| 16th Cavalry Regiment | 18th Cavalry Regiment |
The 17th Cavalry is a historical organization within the United States Army that began as a regiment of cavalry after the Pancho Villa Expedition. The unit was constituted on 1 July 1916 in the Regular Army as the 17th Cavalry at Fort Bliss, Texas[1] and originally inactivated 26 September 1921 at the Presidio of Monterey, California. Formerly a part of the 1950s Combat Arms Regimental System, it was reorganized as a part of the United States Army Regimental System, an ongoing effort to maintain the lineage and history of the Army through its units. Today, the 17th Cavalry Regiment is found across the Army within the Combat Aviation Brigades, where the Squadrons, now constituted as attack/recon helicopter squadrons, carry on the legacy of the 17th Cavalry Regiment.
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The 17th Cavalry Regiment was organized under the provisions of the National Defense Act of 1916 at Ft Bliss, Texas on 30 June 1916 and constituted on 1 July 1916. General Pershing had taken his columns into Mexico only a short time before and the need of cavalry troops was pressing. Thirty-two officers and seven hundred ninety-one veterans from the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 8th and 14th Regiments were transferred as the nucleus of the new regiment. Many of these were recalled from the Punitive Expedition and since all were experienced troopers, little time was spent in whipping the organization into shape. The Regimental Commander, Colonel Willard A. Holbrook, assumed command on 9 July 1916, on which date the men from the 8th Cavalry joined the regiment. Colonel Holbrook held command until he was promoted to the rank of Major General.
In honor of the cavalry regiments that contributed officers, men and experience to the formation of the 17th Cavalry Regiment, the regimental shield shares much from the coats of arm of those units. Orange is from the lst Cavalry and was the official color that has historically represented dragoons. The color green was taken from the 3d Cavalry. Their uniforms contained green facings in honor of the 3d Cavalry's first engagement at Vera Cruz, and its contribution throughout the campaign of 1847 to the capture of Mexico City. The Regiment chose the unicorn from the 6th Cavalry Regiment, which represents the knightly virtues and, in the rampant position, a symbol of fighting aggressiveness, combined with speed and alacrity. The demihorse, in honor of cavalry mounts, was taken from the shield of the 8th Cavalry Regiment. The diagonal line, being the traditional military symbol of cavalry, came from the 14th Cavalry.[1]
The first mounted formation of the regiment was held on 4 August 1916 and consisted of all fifteen troops and the wagons of the supply Troop.
14 May 1917, the Regiment received orders for a change of station due to disturbances along the border of Arizona. By 17 May, the Regiment loaded up on trains and traveled from El Paso to arrive at Douglas, Arizona, on the mid-afternoon of 18 May. The Regiment established itself at "Camp Harry J. Jones", Douglas, Arizona, with outposts near Naco, Arizona (30 miles west along the border), west of town near the C & A Copper Smelter, Forrest, Arizona, and Slaughter's Ranch (13 miles east).
Trouble began in the copper mining districts of Arizona as the Union (IWW) became unmanageable. On 5 July 1917 a provisional squadron, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel White, marched north to Globe, Arizona, for strike duty. Later that month, forest fires in Mormon Canyon (Turkey Creek) grew beyond the control of the forest rangers, prompting another call for assistance by the civil leaders; a detail of fifty men under 2nd Lieutenant Arthur S. Harrington was deployed to assist them. The Regiment would remain in the Southwest until the end of the war. After the armistice was signed, the Regiment was under orders to move to Hawaii.[1]
On 5 April 1919, the 17th Cavalry set sail from San Francisco on the U.S.A.T. Sherman, bound for Honolulu and Schofield Barracks. The massive demobilization following the end of World War I, would leave the 17th Cavalry manning the garrison at Fort Shafter and Schofield Barracks until the fall of 1920. Still, the problem remained of covering approximately one hundred miles of rugged coast line with one regiment of cavalry to effectively repel any attempted landing of troops from transports and hold them off until the arrival of reinforcements. With the exception of the sector in and around the city of Honolulu and Pearl Harbor, the entire coast line of the island was left to the 17th Cavalry Regiment. The Regiment developed an intricate system of shielded lights and telephone lines for command and control as well as reporting, with camps placed in locations that provided excellent cover and concealment from the air or sea.
Reorganization in 1921 resulted in a reduction of the number of cavalry regiments from seventeen to fourteen, this included inactivation of the 17th Cavalry. Lack of funds, reduced personnel authorization, and serious doubts that "the mounted combat of large bodies of cavalry is probably a thing of the past" contributed to the decision as well as a new regimental organization that was designed to reduce overhead, increase firepower, and retain mobility. Many old, famous cavalry units came dangerously close to being lost to the Army because of organizational changes, but a new policy of retaining surplus units on the rolls of the Army in an inactive status was established, preserving unit designations and histories for future use rather than disbanding or redesignating them.
The regiment left Schofield Barracks by truck for Honolulu on September 16 and embarked on the U.S.A.T. Buford for Monterey, California. The officers and enlisted men were transferred to the 11th Cavalry on September 26, and the 17th Cavalry was placed on the inactive list.
Troop D Armored was attached to the 199th LIB Vietnam as a Recon Element from 1966-70. At first, the Troop operated with Jeeps, but then transitioned to Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs). In November 1969, the Troop began utilizing M551 Sheridan tanks along with Armored Cavalry Assault Vehicles (ACAVs).
Troop E, 17th Cavalry was assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade (Separate) in March 1963 and followed the 173rd to Vietnam winning a Presidential Unit Citation, a Meritorious Unit Commendation with the brigade as well as a separate Valorous Unit Award for Troop E's actions at Ben Cat.[2]
Troop F, 17th Cavalry served as the brigade recon element for the 196th LIB 1968 - 1969 at First with Jeeps mounted with 106mm Guns Then APC's and in November 1969 Sheridan Recon Tanks along with APC's and Scout Vehicles (M114) and APC's with 106mm Guns Mounted one per platoon, turned into Acav's (Armored Cavalry Assault Vehicles).
Troop H, 17th Cavalry served as the brigade recon element for the 198th Infantry Brigade. H Troop, 17th Cavalry was drawn from units of the 1st and 2nd Armored Divisions, Fort Hood, Texas. On October 22, 1967, Military Sea Transports brought the 198th and Troop H to Da Nang. Upon arrival, the troops and equipment boarded troop ships and headed for Chu Lai. The Troop operated in the Brigade's area of operations. The troop performed its mission with the goal of finding the enemy and defeating him wherever he was found. H-Troop 17th Cav was also known as the "Hell Cats."[3]
In 1973, after the Vietnam War, the First squadron was assigned to the 82nd Airborne at Ft Bragg, NC and called the 17th Airborne Air Cavalry and became a part of the division's rapid deployment package. It consisted of 'Alfa' troop, a jeep mounted recon company and three air cavalry troops, 'Bravo', 'Charlie' and 'Delta'. Each troop was made up of a scout platoon w/ 10 ea. OH-58A helicopters fitted with mini-guns, a gun platoon w/ 9ea. AH-1G 'Cobra' helicopters and an aero recon platoon, w/ 5 ea. UH-1H 'Huey' helicopters w/ recon specialists. The Second Squadron was similarly equipped and assigned to the 101st Air Mobile Division, Ft Campbell, KY.
Campaign Participation Credit
Decorations
Major General Holbrook, while he had commanded the regiment, had presented a cup to be awarded during a regimental competition among the officers of the 17th Cavalry. The competition became an annual event and continued to be held in Hawaii. The test consisted of a ten-mile cross-country ride containing two series of four jumps each, followed by two series of five jumps each and a fifteen-foot water jump. The winning riders' names were engraved on the cup, which was maintained by the regiment. Unfortunately, it cannot be found today.