8th Cavalry Regiment

8th Cavalry Regiment
Indian Wars Spanish–American War Pancho Villa Expedition World War II Korean War Vietnam War Iraq Campaign
Commanders
Notable commanders	John Irvin Gregg Harold Keith Johnson
Insignia
Regimental distinctive insignia

The 8th Cavalry Regiment is a regiment of the United States Army formed in 1866 during the American Indian Wars. The 8th Cavalry continued to serve under a number of designations, fighting in every other major U.S. conflict since, except World War I, when it was not deployed to Europe because it was already engaged in the Punitive Expedition in Mexico from 1916 to 1920. It is currently a component of the 1st Cavalry Division.

History

The regiment originally was organized as

Indian Wars (1866–90)

The 8th Cavalry Regiment was constituted 28 July 1866 and was organized as a regiment on 21 September 1866 at Camp Reynolds, Angel Island, California. The enlisted soldiers were "composed chiefly of men enlisted on the Pacific Coast, and included many of the class styled 'Forty-niners'; men who had worked months or years in the mines and were typical specimens of the roving order of citizens. Many of them were wild characters who enlisted in the same spirit of adventure which led them to the frontier, and typically had difficulty in adapting themselves to the conformity of a military life." Many desertions followed, the number reaching 41% by the end of 1867. The officers assigned to the regiment were all veterans of the Civil War. John Irvin Gregg was its first colonel, with Thomas Devin as lieutenant colonel; both had been generals of volunteers and commanded cavalry divisions during the war. The Eighth Cavalry would serve on the frontier throughout the late 19th century.

The 8th was actively engaged in trying to control various Native American tribes and bands in

During active combat against the Chiricahua Apaches headed by Cochise, during a battle at Rocky Mesa in the Chiricahua Mountains on 20 October 1869, the following were awarded the Medal of Honor for gallantry in an engagement against a group of Apache warriors subsequent to attacks by this group on a stagecoach and a crew of cowboys:

From October 1870 to July 1874, Troops "C", "G", "I" and "K" of the 8th Cavalry were stationed at Fort Selden, New Mexico, a territorial fort established on the Rio Grande at the present site of Radium Springs, New Mexico. Their primary mission was to protect the settlers and travelers of the Mesilla Valley and San Augustin Pass from the Mescalero Apaches and other bands. The location of the fort was an ancient Indian campground and a crossing point for Spanish caravans headed across the Jornada del Muerto ("Journey of Death"). In conjunction with the encampment at Fort Selden, Regimental Headquarters and three companies of the 8th Cavalry were assigned to Fort Union, New Mexico, under the command of Major William Redwood Price. A campaign was organized to enter the Llano Estacado, the Staked Plains area of the Texas Panhandle, a favorite haunt of bands of Comanches and Kiowas. Departing into the field in August 1874, the 8th Cavalry campaigned into the early months of 1875 before the Southern Plains were finally considered free of the Indian threat and Fort Union settled into a period of reservation watching, holding its troops in readiness for future troubles. The regiment remained in New Mexico performing the same duties until July, 1875, when it marched to Texas. On 31 December 1875 soldiers of the regiment were engaged in a brawl with members of the John Kinney Gang in a Las Cruces, New Mexico saloon in which two died and three were injured^[7] The 8th periodically was engaged in the Apache Wars in southern New Mexico; in November–December 1877 Alsate's Mescaleros clashed twice with 8th Cavalry troops: on 30 November, companies A and K, respectively led by capt. A.B. Wells with lt. F.E. Phelps, and by capt. S.B. Young with lt. John L. Bullis, trespassed the Rio Grande border running after Alsate's band in the Sierra Madera del Carmen, Mexico, killing or wounding some Apaches, destroying the camp and catching some horses, donkeys and mules; on 4 December, capt. Young, with troop K, and lt. Bullis, with a detachment of [negro-]Seminole scouts, after chasing the Chisos for several weeks, attacked the Apache group led by Alsate and his sub-chiefs Zorrillo (Chisos Limpia Mescaleros) and Colorado (probably the chief of a smaller Lipan band joint to the Chisos Mescaleros, and likely to be identified with Avispa Colorada, connected to Alsate and Carnoviste in 1874); Alsate led his people to Chihuahua. On 19 December 1885 an officer and 4 enlisted men were killed by Apaches near Alma, New Mexico.^[8]

In May 1888, the regiment prepared for the longest march ever taken by a cavalry regiment. With the increased number of settlers moving to the Northwest United States, the regiment was ordered to march more than 2,600 miles (4,200 km) to its new regimental headquarters located at Fort Meade, South Dakota and station at Fort Keogh, Montana. Some of its march was along the famous Santa Fe Trail in New Mexico, near which carvings on large boulders and trees still gives mute testimony of the troops on the longest of all trails.

Spanish–American War

At the outbreak of the Spanish–American War in 1898, the 8th Regimental Headquarters and six troops went by rail to Camp A. G. Forse, Alabama and sailed from Savannah, Georgia, for the island of Cuba for a four-year tour of duty to secure the peace. Their duties were varied and included protection of American citizens and their property.

1905–42

In 1905, the regiment was ordered to the

On January 28, 1918, Troop G of the 8th Cavalry Regiment, along with Company B of the Texas Rangers and white ranchers perpetrated the Porvenir massacre, in which 15 Mexican-American men and boys were killed.^[11]

"On April 7, 1918; there was a skirmish with Mexican bandits. In Commanding at Fort Hancock during this time from Dec 2, 1917 to May 10, 1918, was Capt. Thomas Henry Rees, Jr."^[12]

On 13 September 1921, with the initiation of the National Defense Act, the

After the U.S. entered World War II, the regiment arrived in Australia in 1943 and started an intense period of jungle warfare training to prepare it for combat.[14] Following the invasion of Los Negros, the 8th Regiment departed from New Guinea as the part of the reinforcements for the Admiralty Campaign. On 9 March 1944, they landed at Salami Beach, Los Negros Island.

The

On 18 March, the 2nd Brigade crossed the river in force and drove the enemy from Lorengau Village. The objectives were Rossum, a small village south of Lorengau and Salsia Plantation. By 21 March, the 8th Cavalry had won control of most of the plantation, but the battle for Rossum was slowed by heavy jungle which the Japanese used to their advantage. After 96 hours of bitter combat the 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry was relieved by the 1st Squadron, 8th Cavalry. The final push to Rossum was made behind heavy artillery fire and air bombardment. On 28 March, the battle for Los Negros and Manus was over, except for mopping up operations. The Admiralty Islands campaign officially ended on 18 May 1944. Japanese casualties were 3,317 killed.

On 20 October, the regiment participated in the Leyte invasion, Operation King II. Held in corps reserve, the 8th Cavalry Regiment moved into the fighting on 23 October. The 1st Squadron, 8th Cavalry drove up a highway leading northwest of

On 3 February 1945, elements of the 1st Cavalry Division pushed into the northern outskirts of Manila, with only the steep-sided Tuliahan River separating them from the city proper. A squadron of the 8th Cavalry reached the bridge just moments after Japanese soldiers had finished preparing it for demolition. As the two sides opened fire on one another, the Japanese lit the fuse leading to the carefully placed explosives. Without hesitation, Lt.

The regiment saw vicious fighting during the Korean War, with five of its members earning the Medal of Honor: Tibor Rubin (23 July 1950 to 20 April 1953), Fr. Emil J Kapaun (1–2 November 1950),^[16] Samuel S. Coursen (12 December 1950), Robert M. McGovern (30 January 1951), and Lloyd L. Burke (28 October 1951).

Initially scheduled to make an amphibious landing at

Thousands of Chinese People's Volunteer Army (PVA) forces attacked from the north, northwest, and west against scattered U.S. and Republic of Korea Army (ROK) units moving deep into North Korea. At 19:30 on 1 November 1950 the Chinese attacked the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry, all along its line. At 21:00 PVA troops found the weak link in the ridgeline and began moving through it and down the ridge behind the 2d Battalion, penetrating its right flank and encircling its left. Now both the 1st and 2d Battalions were engaged by the enemy on several sides. Around midnight the 8th Cavalry received orders to withdraw southward to Ipsok.

As of 01:30 on 2 November there were no reports of enemy activity in the 3d Battalion's sector south of

Elements of the two other regiments of the 1st Cavalry Division, the 5th Cavalry Regiment and 7th Cavalry Regiment, tried unsuccessfully to reach the isolated battalion. The 5th Cavalry, commanded by then Lt. Col. Harold K. Johnson, later to be Chief of Staff of the Army, led a two-battalion counterattack on the dug-in Chinese positions encircling the 8th Cavalry. However, with insufficient artillery support and a determined enemy, he and his men were unable to break the Chinese line. With daylight fading, the relief effort was broken off and the men of the 8th Cavalry were ordered to get out of the trap any way they could. Breaking into small elements, the soldiers moved out overland under cover of darkness. Most did not make it.

On 6 November, the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment ceased to exist as a unit.^[18][19] In all, over eight hundred men of the 8th Cavalry were lost—almost one-third of the regiment's strength—in the initial attacks by massive Chinese forces, forces that only recently had been considered as existing only in rumor.^[20]

The enemy force that destroyed the 8th Cavalry at Unsan was the CCF's

On 25 January 1951, the 1st Cavalry Division, joined by the revitalized 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry moved back into action. The movement began as a reconnaissance in force to locate and assess the size of the PVA forces, believed to be at least 174,000. The Eighth Army moved slowly and methodically, ridge by ridge, phase line by phase line, wiping out each pocket of resistance before moving farther north. The advance covered 2 miles (3.2 km) a day, despite heavy blinding snowstorms and subzero temperatures. On 14 March, the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry had crossed the Hangchon River and on the 15th, Seoul was recaptured by elements of the 8th Army. New objectives were established to keep the Chinese from rebuilding and resupplying their forces and to advance to the "Kansas Line", which roughly followed the 38th Parallel and the winding Imjin River. On 3 October, the 1st Cavalry Division moved out from Line Wyoming and immediately into Chinese fire. For the next two days; hills were taken, lost and retaken. On the third day, the Chinese lines began to break in front of the 7th Cavalry. On 5 October, the 8th Cavalry recaptured Hill 418, a flanking hill on which the northern end of Line Jamestown was anchored. On 10–11 October, the Chinese counter-attacked; twice, unsuccessfully against the 7th Cavalry. Two days later, the 8th Cavalry took the central pivot of the line, Hill 272. The southern end of Line Jamestown, along with a hill called "Old Baldy", eventually fell to the 8th Cavalry troopers.

By December 1951, the division, after 549 days of continuous fighting, began rotation back to

After the Korean War the 8th Cavalry remained in the Far East on duty in Japan and guarding the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea.

On July 31, 2018, 55 boxes of MIA remains were returned from North Korea; the only military dogtag with the remains was that of 8th Cavalry medic MSgt Charles McDaniel casualty of 2 November 1950^[21]

Cold War and Vietnam War

During the reorganization of the Army in the late 1950s, the regimental headquarters was disbanded and the 1st Squadron transitioned into the 1st Battle Group and then the 1st Mechanized Battalion, 8th Cavalry. Reassigned to

Later, 3–8th and the 4–8th Cavalry were the heavy armor units of the 2nd Brigade, 3rd Armored Division in Gelnhausen, West Germany as a part of the defense of the Fulda Gap. 4–8th Cavalry was the first U.S. unit to win the Canadian Army Trophy (CAT). The 3–8 and 4–8 Cav. were on border guard in the Fulda Gap on 3 October 1990 during German Reunification when the Cold War came to an end.

In 1965, 1st Battalion (ABN), 8th Cavalry Regiment arrived in Vietnam, and participated in numerous campaigns in South Vietnam and Cambodia. The battalion was awarded two Presidential Unit Citations, the Valorous Unit Citation, and four soldiers were awarded with the nation's highest honor, the Medal of Honor.

Bravo Company 1/8th (1 January 1968 – 31 December 1968). With the close of

On 24 August 1968, 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry aided in exploiting a minor contact and wound up inflicting heavy losses on elements of the PAVN K8 Main Force Battalion. An estimated 80% of the enemy unit was killed in the four-day fight which took place in three coastal villages northwest of Quang Tri City. The First and Second Companies of the K8 Battalion had linked up in the villages of Van Phong and Dong Bao, and the Fourth Company was stationed two kilometers to the south in the village of La Duy. Their mission was to secure the hamlets and villages northeast of Quang Tri in preparation for an attack on the city. The day after the PAVN arrived, however, three helicopters from 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry hovered over Van Phong on a snatch operation. PAVN gunners fired on the helicopters. Within minutes, American forces were speeding to the contact area, and in a few hours a cordon had been secured around the two villages. Company A and B, 1st Battalion 8th Cavalry, which had been operating seven miles (11 km) northwest of the fighting, were flown into the northern section of the cordon. At the same time, Troops A and C, 3rd Squadron, 5th Cavalry rolled up the beach from the south in tanks and armored personnel carriers (APCs). Company C, 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry and Troop D, 1–9th Cavalry, were also brought in. Brigade scout helicopters darted in and out of the villages, providing suppressive fire as the ground units maneuvered into position. When the cordon was secured, a Psyops team flew over the area broadcasting warnings for the civilians to come out of the villages. Tube artillery and aerial rocket artillery (ARA) were called in later and pounded the area throughout the night as ground fighting increased. On the morning of 25 August air strikes and naval gun fire joined the barrage, and by late afternoon, 1/8th Cavalry prepared for a sweep of the area. They met little resistance, mopping up in the villages continued throughout the day, when new fighting erupted in the area. The reconnaissance platoon, Company B, of the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry were operating at La Duy when they made contact with 4th Company. The cavalrymen pulled back while ARA was brought in for support. Company C was immediately air assaulted to the area. When the rocket firing helicopters expended, the 1/8th made a sweep of the village. The PAVN were in bunkers, spider holes and trenches, and it took several hours to silence their guns. The enemy body count for this four-day engagement swelled to 148 PAVN killed, 14 POWs and 4 Chieu Hoi, 9 crew-served weapons and 54 small arms weapons.

During the months of September and October the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry conducted search and clear operations, as part of

Heavy contact with the enemy was made in the latter part of the month. On 23 November 1968 the lead platoon of Company D was pinned down by heavy automatic weapons fire. There was no safe way that the company could bring in fire support without endangering their own lives, thus enemy positions had to be located and marked with hand-thrown smoke grenades. With the successful finding and marking of enemy placements, aerial rocket artillery (ARA) was brought into the fight. After suppression elements had been expended, the men of Company D pushed out the deeply entrenched PAVN killing 12. After battling the PAVN for six weeks in War Zone C, the (Honor and Courage) Battalion redeployed on Operation Navajo Horse (15 December 1968) to the southwest where the threatened 4th PAVN offensive was expected to be launched. Combat assaulting into the lowlands west of Chu Chi, the first elements of Company D secured the landing zone. CH-47s carrying troops, supplies, and the battalion command act section flew approximately 100 sorties to LZ Tracy during the day. Companies A and B closed out LZ Mustang and made the 50-mile (80 km) flight south on 17 December 1968.

Transition and Desert Storm

Following a tour in Southeast Asia, the Mustangs returned to the United States with the 1st Cavalry Division. Stationed at

In the early months of 1991,^[22] the 3rd Battalion 8th Cavalry participated in combat actions in Southwest Asia, as part of the 2nd Brigade 3rd Armored Division, where it had been assigned since 16 February 1987, and earned the following streamers: Defense of Saudi Arabia, Liberation and Defense of Kuwait, and Cease Fire. For these actions, the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry was awarded the Valorous Unit Award streamer embroidered IRAQ.^[23][24]

4–8 Cav as a part of the 2nd Brigade 3rd Armored Division also saw heavy combat during Desert Storm.

With the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990, the battalion deployed to the Kingdom of

After their return to Fort Hood, 1st Battalion 8th Cavalry was placed back into the 2nd Brigade Combat Team. Once both 1st and 2nd Brigades were situated they began the process of transitioning to the Force XXI turning in their tanks for the new M1A2 SEP version, which provides better optics along with a digital command and control system. Also part of the transition was that the Delta companies were deactivated and the headquarters were restructured, the remaining troops were integrated throughout the brigade and the division.

Iraq

Operation Iraqi Freedom 2004–2005

1st, 2nd, and 3rd Battalions all deployed to Iraq in 2004 for Operation Iraqi Freedom.

1st Battalion was reorganized as part of the new 5th Brigade Combat Team (5th BCT), which was built around the division artillery headquarters. They presented farmers in the Al Rashid region with four new tractors on 9 and 10 June 2004. As part the 5th BCT plan to improve agriculture in Al Rashid, members of the 1st Battalion, civil affairs team, presented farmers of Al Boetha with more than 68 tons of seed, fertilizer and other supplies at the Al Ahar School on 4 August 2004. The seed delivery started 6 July. The distribution was one of many to take over two weeks, just in time for the second planting season. The 1st Battalion was engaged in various combat action in the Al-Rashid area of Baghdad. Abu-Bashir and Al-Doura Markets saw several large-scale attacks on U.S. forces as these areas were hotspots for hidden insurgent activity. The 1st Battalion lost five soldiers KIA to combat in these engagements and numerous wounded.

In March 2004, 2nd Battalion, the Stallion Battalion, deployed to Eastern Baghdad as part of the 1st "Ironhorse" Brigade. It was stationed in the former Camp Cuervo, later called

The 3rd Battalion's headquarters were at FOB Warhorse, with C company attached to TF 2–7 at Camp Cooke in Taji Iraq. C company, 3–8 Cavalry (Cougars) participated in the battle in An Najaf and the Battle of Fallujah with TF 2–7.

In March 2005 the 1st Battalion redeployed with 1st CAV. In their place 6th Squadron, the

Like most units involved in OIF 06–08, the battalions of the 8th Cavalry had their deployments extended from 12 months to 15. Upon returning home, the battalion's final casualty toll was 27.[27]

2008

January 2008 to December 2008, was an entire year of hard training in combat operations for the 1-8 Mustangs. Standing ready for the call while continuing to train hard throughout that summer, the battalion would soon learn it would officially be deployed to Iraq once again that following year.

From September to October 2008, the 1–8 Mustangs were sent to Fort Polk, Louisiana, to extend their training for their upcoming deployment to Iraq. They spent about a month doing a multitude of rigorous training in what is known as the J.R.T.C. (Joint Readiness Training Center). Similar to the old (N.T.C.) program in California, it is designed to simulate what it is like to be deployed to Iraq. This includes the culture, the environment, combat operations, and the way of life while deployed, amongst many other things. After completing training, the Mustangs headed back home to Fort Hood, Texas, to continue preparing for their upcoming deployment.

2009

In January 2009, 1–8 Cavalry again deployed the Mustangs overseas for another combat tour. They were sent to the Kirkuk Province in Northern Iraq for a 12-month deployment. The Battalion was led by LTC David Lesperance and CSM Robert French. The Battalion split their stationing of soldiers between J.S.S. McHenry and F.O.B. Warrior. J.S.S. McHenry was located only a few minutes away from the very hostile village of Hawija. As of March 2006, the area of Hawija was considered one of the most dangerous in all of Iraq, with U.S. Soldiers and the Foreign Press Corps in Baghdad dubbing Hawija "Anbar of the North,". This close proximity would lead to daily mortar attacks, sometimes up to three times a day. The most common attacks on active patrol units, and traveling convoys, were in the form of IED attacks, RKG-3 grenade attacks, hand grenade attacks, moltov cocktails, RPG attacks, and small arms fire. After a year of combat, the unit redeployed back home to Fort Hood, Texas in mid-late December 2009.

2013

In early 2013 6-8 Cav stationed at Ft Stewart Ga was deployed to Logar Province Afghanistan. HHT and Apocalypse “A” Trp were stationed out of FOB, Forward Operation Base Shank. Bushmaster “B” Trp was in the north out of COP McClain. And Chaos “C” Trp was located at COP Baraki Barak.

Current status

• 1st Battalion, known as the "Mustangs", is a
  combined arms battalion of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division stationed at Fort Cavazos
  , Texas. Lieutenant Colonel Jay Ireland currently commands the Mustang Battalion.
• 2nd "Stallion" Battalion is a combined arms battalion of the 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division stationed at Fort Cavazos, Texas. Currently Lieutenant Colonel Edwin L. Minges is the commander.
• 3rd Battalion, known as "Warhorse", is a combined arms battalion of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division stationed at Fort Cavazos, Texas. Lieutenant Colonel Sean M. Castilla commands the Warhorse battalion.
• 6th Squadron is the cavalry squadron of the 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia. In 2022 the Squadron became the most modernized and lethal Cavalry Squadron in the Army after receiving Abrams M1a2 SEPv3 tanks and M2a4 Bradleys. They also use the call sign "Mustang". As of 2022, the squadron is commanded by LTC James Perkins.

Campaign streamers

Decorations

• Streamer, Presidential Unit Citation, embroidered LUZON
• Streamer, Presidential Unit Citation, embroidered MANUS
• Streamer, Presidential Unit Citation, embroidered 17 October 1994 to 4 July 1945
• Streamer, Presidential Unit Citation, embroidered TAEGU
• Streamer, Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, embroidered WAEGWAN-TAEGU
• Streamer, Chryssoun Aristion Andria (Bravery Gold Medal of Greece), embroidered KOREA
• Streamer, Presidential Unit Citation, embroidered PLEIKU PROVINCE
• Streamer, Presidential Unit Citation, embroidered TRUNG LONG
• Streamer, Valorous Unit Award, embroidered FISHHOOK
• Streamer Valorous Unit Award, embroidered IRAQ (3/8 Cav, 4/8 Cav)
• Draper Award A Company 2nd Battalion 8th United States Cavalry
• Draper Award D Company 3rd Battalion 8th United States Cavalry 2010
• Armor and Cavalry Leadership Award (formerly the Draper Award) B Company 1st Battalion 8th United States Cavalry 2017

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 8th Cavalry Regiment (United States).

• 3/8 Cav, Desert Storm
• 1st Cavalry Division
• 2–8th Cav Official site
• Bravo Company 1/8 68/69 Archived 7 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
• 1st Cavalry Division Association
• 1st Brigade 1st Cav Scouts
• Korean War 8th Cavalrymen killed 1950-identified 2009
• Lost Korean War battalion awaits MIA decision
• https://web.archive.org/web/20100215184228/http://www.veteransforamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/vfa-army-bcts-2-27-092.pdf
• Trumpeters 8th Cavalry Fort Meade, South Dakota
• 8th Cavalry Fort Robinson Nebraska 30 June 1909
• The Forty Day scout an account of a summer 1872 8th U.S. Cavalry expedition from Ft Bascom against Hostile Indians in west Texas (American Heritage Magazine June/July 1980 Vol 31 Number 4)