1st Cavalry Regiment (United States)

by United States Army Center for Military History with Images from the US Army Institute of Heraldry

Heraldic Achievements^[1]

Coat of Arms

Blazon

• Shield: Tenné (Dragoon Yellow), a dragon passant Or. (And for informal use the escutcheon encircled with a sword belt Sable buckled at base with the belt plate of the Dragoons of 1836 Proper bearing the regimental motto in base and “FIRST CAVALRY” in chief between two eight-pointed mullets of rays one on dexter side, the other on sinister, all Or).

• Crest: On a wreath of the colors, Or and Tenné (Dragoon Yellow), a hawk rising with wings addorsed and elevated Sable, langued and membered Gules.

• Motto: ANIMO ET FIDE (Courageous And Faithful).

Symbolism

• Shield:

1. The color of the Dragoons was Dragoon yellow (orange-yellow), shown by the color of the shield and the dragon is in allusion to the name Dragoon.
2. The gold eight-pointed star on the encircling belt was the insignia of the Dragoons until 1851.

• Crest:

1. This Regiment was organized in 1833 as the Regiment of United States Dragoons.
2. Many of its officers and men came from the Battalion of Mounted Rangers which had taken part in the Black Hawk War.

Background

1. The coat of arms was originally approved for the 1st Cavalry Regiment on 26 January 1921.
2. It was amended to change the wording of the blazon and add the motto on 21 November 1923.
3. It was redesignated for the 1st Armored Regiment on 7 September 1940.
4. It was redesignated for the 1st Constabulary Squadron on 11 June 1947.
5. The insignia was redesignated for the 1st Medium Tank Battalion on 13 August 1951.
6. It was redesignated for the 1st Tank Battalion on 18 February 1955.
7. The insignia was redesignated for the 1st Cavalry Regiment on 21 April 1958.
8. It was amended to change the wording of the description on 23 June 1960.
9. It was amended to correct the wording in the blazon of the shield on 20 October 1965.

Distinctive Unit Insignia

Description

1. On a heraldic wreath Or and Tenné (Dragoon Yellow) a hawk rising with wings addorsed and elevated Sable and membered Gules—charged upon an eight-pointed Dragoon Yellow star surrounded by a Black sword belt bearing the organizational motto “ANIMO ET FIDE” with the old Dragoon belt plate of 1836.
2. The insignia is 1¼ inches (3.18 cm) in diameter.

Symbolism

1. This Regiment was organized in 1833 as the Regiment of United States Dragoons. Many of its officers and men came from the Battalion of Mounted Rangers which had taken part in the Black Hawk War.
2. The color of the Dragoons was Dragoon yellow (orange-yellow) and a gold eight-pointed star on the encircling belt was the insignia of the Dragoons until 1851
3. The motto translates to “Courageous and Faithful.”

Background

1. The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 1st Cavalry Regiment on 21 November 1923.
2. It was redesignated for the 1st Armored Regiment on 07 September 1940.
3. It was redesignated for the 1st Constabulary Squadron on 11 June 1947
4. The insignia was redesignated for the 1st Medium Tank Battalion on 13 August 1951.
5. It was redesignated for the 1st Tank Battalion on 18 February 1955.
6. The insignia was redesignated for the 1st Cavalry Regiment on 21 April 1958.
7. It was amended to change the wording of the description on 20 October 1965.

Flag

• a.Size:

1. Hoist: Three Feet.
2. Fly: Four Feet.
3. Fringe: 2½”

• b.Description.

1. The flag has a solid background with an embroidered American eagle displayed centered thereon. In its right talon the eagle holds an olive branch; in its left talon, a bundle of 13 arrows, all in proper colors. Its beak grasps a scroll inscribed with the unit motto. Below the eagle is a scroll inscribed with the designation of the organization. On the eagle’s breast is embroidered the shield of the coat of arms and the crest is above the eagle’s head.

• c. Organizational colors:

1. Organization: Calvary
2. Background: Yellow
3. Fringe: Yellow
4. Letters and Numbers: Scarlet
5. Scrolls.
   1. Outline:Scarlet
   2. Background: White

Lineage and Honors^[2]

United States Army Center of Military History

Lineage

• Constituted 2 March 1833 in the Regular Army as the United States Regiment of Dragoons.
• Organized 4 March 1833 at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri.
• Redesignated 15 May 1836 as the 1st Regiment of Dragoons.
• Redesignated 3 August 1861 as 1st Cavalry Regiment.
• Assigned to 15th Cavalry Division during World War One.
• Assigned to 1st Cavalry Division 20 August 1921.
• Relieved from assignment to 1st Cavalry Division 3 January 1933.
• Reorganized and redesignated 16 January 1933 as 1st Cavalry Regiment, Mechanized.
• Redesignated 15 July 1940 as 1st Armored Regiment, Light and assigned to 1st Armored Division.
• Regiment (less 2nd Battalion) reorganized and redesignated 20 July 1944 as 1st Tank Battalion, still assigned to 1st Armored Division. 2nd Battalion Disbanded.
• 1st Tank Battalion converted and redesignated 1 May 1946 as 1st Constabulary Squadron; concurrently reassigned from 1st Armored Division to 15th Constabulary Regiment.
• 1st Constabulary Squadron redesignated as 1st Medium Tank Battalion, Inactivated, and reassigned to 1st Armored Division.
• 2nd Battalion, 1st Armored Regiment reconstituted 27 February 1951 in the Regular Army, Redesignated as the 100th Tank Battalion, and assigned to 1st Armored Division.
• The following activities took place on 7 March 1951 at Fort Hood, Texas.
  • 1st Medium Tank Battalion Activated.
  • 100th Tank Battalion Activated
• 1st Medium Tank Battalion Redesignated 20 May 1953 as 1st Tank Battalion.
• The following activities took place at Fort Polk, Louisiana on 15 February 1957:
  • 1st Tank Battalion Inactivated (less Company A), and relieved from assignment to 1st Armored Division.
  • Company A, 1st Tank Battalion reorganized and redesignated as HHC, 1st Medium Tank Battalion, 1st Cavalry Regiment.
  • 100th Tank Battalion Inactivated.
  • 1st and 100th Tank Battalions consolidated and redesignated as 1st Cavalry Regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System.
  • HHC, 1st Tank Battalion redesignated as HHT, 1st Cavalry Regiment.

Honors

Campaign Participation Credit

• Mexican War:

1. Buena Vista
2. Coahuila 1846
3. New Mexico 1846
4. New Mexico 1847
5. Chihuahua 1848

• Indian Wars:

1. Modocs
2. Apaches
3. Nez Perces
4. Bannocks
5. Pine Ridge
6. California
   1. California 1846
   2. California 1852
   3. California 1860
   4. California 1868
7. New Mexico
   1. New Mexico 1849
   2. New Mexico 1850
   3. New Mexico 1851
   4. New Mexico1854
   5. New Mexico 1855
   6. New Mexico1856
8. Oregon
   1. Oregon 1851
   2. Oregon 1853
   3. Oregon 1855
   4. Oregon 1856
   5. Oregon 1860
   6. Oregon 1866
   7. Oregon 1867
   8. Oregon 1868
   9. Colorado 1855
9. Arizona
   1. Arizona 1857
   2. Arizona 1859
   3. Arizona 1866
   4. Arizona 1868
   5. Arizona 1869
   6. Arizona 1870
   7. Arizona 1871
   8. Arizona 1872
   9. Arizona 1881
10. Washington
    1. Washington 1858
11. Idaho
    1. Idaho 1879
12. Montana
    1. Montana 1887

• Civil War

1. Peninsula
2. Antetam
3. Fredericksburg
4. Chancellorsville
5. Gettysburg
6. Wilderness
7. Spotsylvania
8. Cold Harbor
9. Petersburg
10. Shenandoah
11. Appomattox
12. New Mexico 1862
13. Virginia
    1. Virginia 1862
    2. Virginia 1863
    3. Virginia 1864
    4. Virginia 1865
14. Maryland 1863

• War With Spain

1. Santiago

• Philippine Insurrection

1. Luzon 1901
2. Luzon 1902

• World War II

1. Algeria-French Morocco (With Arrowhead)
2. Tunisia
3. Napples-Foggia
4. Anzio
5. Rome-Arno
6. North Apennines
7. Po Valley

• Vietnam

1. Counteroffensive, Phase III
2. Tet Counteroffensive

Decorations

• None

Notes

1. Source: US Army Institute of Heraldry
2. Source: US Army Center for Military History