Photo By Staff Sgt. Michael Folkerth | Cpt. Elizabeth Rascon, commander of the 1st Cavalry Division Horse Cavalry Detachment,...... read more read more
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FORT HOOD, Texas — Luzon. Unsan. Ia Drang. Wadi al Batin. Sadr City. Kandahar.
Since the unit’s creation in 1921, the Troopers of the 1st Cavalry Division have mounted up and served in every major United States conflict from World War II to the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan.
To honor this legacy, the division hosted Cav Week from June 8 to 14, in conjunction with celebrations for the Army’s 240th Birthday and the 68th Annual 1st Cav. Div. Association Reunion.
“Cav Week was intended to build camaraderie around the heritage of the 1st Cavalry Division,” said Capt. Jonathan Wood, the assistant action officer for the event. “[It] gave current Soldiers the opportunity to bond and learn from previous 1st Cavalry Division Troopers.”
The week also provided a unique opportunity to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the division being the "First In Tokyo" at the end of World War II, the 65th anniversary of being "First In Pyongyang" in the Korean War, and the 50th anniversary of the activation of the 1st Cav. Div. as the Army’s first airmobile division and the beginning of nearly a decade of service in Vietnam.
The Vietnam anniversary held a special significance during Cav Week, with many of the week’s events focusing on the actions of the First Team during the war.
The 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cav. Div. dedicated their headquarters conference room in honor of Col. (Retired) Cyril Richard “Rick” Rescorla, a platoon leader during the Battle of Ia Drang who died while leading evacuees out of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.
Meanwhile, Troopers from Company B, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cav. Div. met with Vietnam veterans from the same outfit who presented the present-day Soldiers with the company guidon carried by the unit in 1967 and 1968.
“Each unit welcomed their veterans in their own special ways,” said Lt. Col. John Garcia, the overall project officer for Cav Week.
He said that the division headquarters hosted a special screening of the film, “We Were Soldiers”, and were fortunate enough to have journalist Joe Galloway, author of the book the movie is based on, “We Were Soldiers Once… And Young,” speak to the Troopers and answer questions after the screening.
“That one just happened to be luck,” said Garcia, explaining that once they heard Galloway would be attending the 1st Cav. Div. Reunion, they worked through other staff channels within the division to see if he would be interested in attending the screening.
The division also hosted a series of events at the 1st Cav. Div. Museum Friday, including static displays, an Army Birthday cake-cutting, and a memorial service for Troopers killed during the first Gulf War.
“It's a great opportunity to have them [cavalry veterans] here to show them how they have paved the way for us,” said Sgt. Steven Galindo, a Taft, Texas, native with the 91st Engineer Battalion here, who was at the museum showing visitors the capabilities of the M1 Assault Breacher Vehicle.
“That was probably the coolest part to me,” said Wood. “Seeing the veterans interact with the current Soldiers.”
He said that he even met a platoon sergeant who served with the division during the Vietnam War who was reuniting with his former squad leaders for the first time in 50 year.
The capstone of Cav Week was The Spirit of the Cav – a twilight pageant celebrating the history of the cavalry Trooper, held Friday on Cooper Field here.
“Despite these technological changes, the one thing that has not changed has been the Spirit of the Cavalry,” said Brig. Gen. Michael Bills, the 1st Cav. Div. commander, addressing the audience before the start of the show. “The Soldiers who represent each different time period are the living embodiment of the tough, smart, and adaptable Cavalry Troopers who have fought for freedom since our nation’s founding.”
The show featured Troopers in period uniforms worn by the cavalry going as far back as the Revolutionary War.
“It's amazing to see how things have evolved over the years. The communication and the technology are a lot more advanced,” said Chief Warrant Officer 4 (retired) Dan S. Gully, a Floyds Knob, Indiana, native.
Like many ceremonies hosted by the division, the Spirit of the Cav concluded in traditional cavalry fashion, with members of the 1st Cav. Div. Horse Cavalry Detachment charging – only this time with the support of a fleet of AH-64 Apache, UH-60 Blackhawk and CH-47 Chinook helicopters making a low pass overhead.
“This event and this week are a celebration of our current First Team and a celebration of those who have 'Lived the Legend' before us and through their honor, courage, and valor built a storied legacy that each of us still serving strives to continue and build upon,” said Bills. “All of our First Team veterans have built this story, and we’re honored to have all of you who have served in the division here with us this evening.”
Gully echoed a similar sentiment.
“Once a Cav Soldier, always a Cav Soldier,” he said.
(Staff Sgt. Ange Desinor contributed to this story)
| Date Taken: | 06.16.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 06.16.2015 17:35 |
| Story ID: | 166866 |
| Location: | FORT HOOD, TX, US |
| Hometown: | FLOYDS KNOBS, IN, US |
| Hometown: | LOWELL, IN, US |
| Hometown: | SODUS, NY, US |
| Hometown: | TAFT, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 79 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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