April The Blackhorse - Blackhorse Association
Transcription
April The Blackhorse - Blackhorse Association
April 2014 The Blackhorse Riding with the Blackhorse: Vignettes out of Our Regiment’s History By Don Snedeker April 2014 1907 A Second Lieutenant with a Map The Eleventh Cavalry Regiment (minus First Squadron) was serving as part of the U.S. forces sent to Cuba to put down a rebellion. Troopers were located in Pinar del Rio (the heart of the Cuban tobacco plantations) and Camp Columbia near Havana. In addition to patrolling on horseback and maintaining order, officers of the Regiment assisted in making a map of the island. Each officer, accompanied by one or two mounted Troopers, was armed with a prismatic compass and a sketch book. The teams were sent out for months at a time, measuring and sketching the landscape, then returning to provide input to the mapmakers. The whole project took many months. The final map, with a scale of three miles to one inch, measured 24 feet long. 1910 Life is Full of Choices In the summer of 1910, there was a typhoid fever epidemic sweeping the country. An Army doctor had developed a vaccine against the fever the previous year, and the War Dept. Inside This Issue President’s Message……...……….…...........2 65th Colonel’s Message…...……….….........3 Additional Association Notes........................3 Chapter Information/Officers..…....…...........4 Front page continued………......………....…5 Fundraising Event..........................................6 Paver Project..................................................7 Reunion info and signup ....…........….….8&9 Trooper/NCO Awards….......……..……….10 Blackhorse Store…………..….....………...11 Membership application…....….......………12 1941 sent it to all camps, posts, and stations. However, the instructions from Washington Desert Warfare Training were that taking the shot was entirely voluntary. Only about one-third of the Troopers of the Eleventh Cavalry Regiment volunteered to take the shot. This was unsatisfactory to the Regimental Commander, Colonel James Parker. He issued an order on 7 September directing that all officers and Troopers under the age of 50 would be expected to take the shot. Exceptions could be made when requested in writing. However, due to the threat of an epidemic in the civilian community, those who did not receive Trooper Sid Stark - 11th U.S. Cavalry the vaccine would not be allowed to go off post At Camp Lockett, 1942 on pass “where they run danger of infection.” In 1918, the Eleventh Cavalry departed Fort Everyone dutifully lined up and was inoculated. Oglethorpe, Georgia, for its new home in California. While most of the Regiment went to the Presidio at Monterey, Echo Troop initially occupied a bivouac in the Campo Valley in the high desert west of San Diego. Two decades later, the entire Regiment rode south from Monterey, with orders to establish a long-term horse cavalry camp in the same location. After a 54-day trek on horseback, Second Squadron Troopers rode into the valley (known to the Native Americans who originally lived in the area as ‘big foot’) on Thanksgiving Day, 1941. Although the attack on Pearl Harbor was still two weeks away, war clouds were already on the horizon. According to the LA Times, the “tough-bitten” 11th Cavalry had the missions of patrolling the near-by border with Mexico, protecting the West Coast in case of a Japanese invasion, and guarding the far-flung San Diego dams and reservoirs from sabotage. The new camp, which cost the Army Corps of Engineers $1,000,000 to construct, was named Camp Colonel James Parker Lockett, in honor of the 4th Colonel of the 3rd Colonel of the Regiment Regiment (1913-1915). It lay just two miles from the Mexican border in an area accessible only on a horse. One history of the camp described the terrain and weather in the region: “The surrounding terrain offers unparalleled opportunities to test man, beast and mechanized carriers over a wide variety of terrain that includes heavily wooded underbrush, desert sand, miles of barren, rocky wastelands, streams to be forded, and other geographic hazards identical to those which confront cavalry Blackhorse Association Web Site is: http://www.blackhorse.org Continued on page 5 President’s Message by Glenn Snodgrass, President, Blackhorse Association The Association continues to operate on a sound financial footing: 2013 was a great year with a wonderful reunion in Louisville, 20 scholarships were given, and important donations were received from hundreds of members. With your help, 2014 can be even better. status with the IRS) – please contribute to our 1901 Club or simply send a check to our treasurer earmarking the donation. (2) If you want to contribute to our Scholarship Fund, please become a member of the Allons Club or simply send a check to our treasurer earmarking the donation. (3) If you want to help us move our Update on the Move of the regimental monument from Fort Knox to Regimental Monument Fort Benning, you may buy a paver (see article elsewhere in this newsletter) or Some of you may not know that we are simply send a check to our treasurer going to move the regimental earmarking the donation. monument from its current location at The mailing address for all contributions the Patton Museum near Fort Knox to is: The Blackhorse Association a new site adjacent to the future Armor ATTN: Treasurer and Cavalry Museum at Fort Benning P. O. Box 84093 (it is a long story - suffice it to say that Lexington, SC 29073 once the Home of Armor moved from The website offers an easy credit card/ Knox to Benning, and all the armored PayPal option of making contributions vehicles were taken from the Patton for any purpose. If you know of any Museum to Benning, there was little Blackhorse veterans who are not choice for us but to move the members of the Association, please monument – if we ever expected lots encourage them to join. of people to come see it). We are working closely with our How you can help us save sister organization, the 11th Armored money Cavalry Veterans of Vietnam and Cambodia (11th ACVVC) to execute A major goal is to continue to reduce and pay for the move. Association expenses. If you have We have coordinated with Fort access to a computer and email, you can Knox for departure requirements, and help immensely if you would be willing are working with monument to go paperless (and save us the cost of companies at both sites. printing and mailing this newsletter We are also going to take this twice a year). It’s easy – just go to our opportunity to enhance our monument website at www.blackhorse.org and click – with more history, our campaign on the “Go Paperless” link at the top of streamers, our patch, our crest, our the home page. If you do not have crossed sabers and more – we want it access to a computer and email – no to stand out and be something all of us worry – we will continue to send this can be proud to visit and to call our publication via regular mail. own - it will represent all eras of Reunion in June Blackhorse service. Our target for completion is the spring of 2015. It is now time to get your registration As always, we need your assistance forms submitted for our upcoming to help us pay for all of this. Please see the 3rd subparagraph below if you reunion in Colorado Springs, CO, which will be held June 12-15. [See the flyer would like to contribute. and registration forms elsewhere in this How You Can Help us newsletter.] We are getting early Financially indications of a very good turnout – we have already topped our initial room (1) If you want to contribute to our minimums, so we are encouraging you to Operations fund (the cost of running get your hotel reservations soon. the Association including newsletters, Charley Watkins has been heading up the website with eblasts, postage, a large planning team for several months essential administrative and statutory and plans are starting to come together. filing costs – the latter to protect our We will have a golf tournament on 501 (3) (c) non-profit, charitable Thursday, a casual Friday night Stable Page 2 YourMount evening (including some more inductees into the Regiment’s Honorary Scrolls), and a Saturday night banquet, with GEN JD Thurman tentatively to be our guest speaker. We will have a memorial service at our Memorial tank located nearby, tours of Fort Carson, and perhaps a trip to Cheyenne Mountain. If you have any silent auction items to contribute, please call Charley (Home: 719-576-0559; Cell: 970-620-0402). This information can also be found on our www.blackhorse.org and www.blackhorse.com websites – or call me with any questions (703-250-3064 or 703-407-4038). Communications Clint Ancker, our Director of Communications, asks that you make us aware of things which you think would be of interest to the Association membership – just send either of us what you have in mind electronically or call us anytime (Clint – 913-724-4420), or send to Clint at 17946 156th Terrace, Bonner Springs, KS, 66012. If you have access to a computer, please check our website at www.blackhorse.org for a wealth of information about the Association and the active regiment, and give us your email address so that we can send you our monthly e-news items. Greg Hallmark has done a marvelous job over the last year making our website a state-of-the-art place to visit, but we are always looking for ways to make the website better. Memorabilia Finish Line Awards (FLA), our memorabilia vendor, continues to do a superb job of offering quality merchandise - see their advertisement elsewhere in this newsletter. FLA has had such a profitable year, that they have been able to contribute a portion of their profits to the Association. Any Questions about anything – don’t ever hesitate to call me (703-250-3064 or 703-407-4038) or any member of the Board of Directors (see page 4 for a complete listing). ALLONS AND BLACKHORSE FOREVER! From the Battle Front 65th Colonel of the Blackhorse ...COL Lanier Ward and Family members the past 5 months as the interim CSM for the Regiment. CSM Ashmead and Sheri, his spouse of 21 years and mother to their four children, joins the Black Horse Regiment from 1ABCT, 2IDSouth Korea. Blackhorse Troopers, Veterans, and all our supporting Family and Friends, the second quarter of 2014 has been an exciting one. First, we had the honor of beating up on the 3d Striker Brigade from 2ID and the 1st Brigade from 1st CAV in training rotations before taking a moment to honor our heritage by conducting our Regimental Ball in Las Vegas. We are now fully immersed in preparing our sister Regiment, 3d Cavalry Regiment, for their upcoming deployment to Afghanistan. After an overwhelming success last year with our Regimental Ball in San Diego, we asked our Troopers this year what they wanted to do for their Ball. They responded that they wanted to shift operations this year and do it in Vegas. The South Point Hotel obliged us and was a gracious host in allowing the Regimental Horse Detachment to conduct a Cavalry demonstration at their resident equestrian center. The demonstration attracted hundreds of spectators and portrayed our Regiment in a positive light. South Point even agreed to permit me to ride a horse into the ballroom for our culmination to the Grog Bowl Ceremony. Regardless of the bets that were placed, I didn’t get bucked off as part of the entrance but it was agreeably one of my quickest dismounts ever. The Ball itself was an extravagant event where we honored the traditions of the Regiment and recognized many of our Troopers for the contributions they’ve made to their individual branches. Our loved ones and veterans who joined us in the celebration appreciated the opportunity to share in the elegant experience and helped us close the night out by letting it loose on the dance floor. The Regiment returned safely from the Ball without incident and held a “Change of Responsibility” ceremony on March 12. We welcomed Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Carl Ashmead as the 21st Command Sergeant Major of the 11th ACR and bid farewell to Command Sergeant Major Phillip Simpao who did an outstanding job taking care of our Troopers We have the honor of hosting 3d Cavalry Regiment for Rotation 14-05 this month which is scheduled to be the last unit to train here prior to deploying in support of Operational Enduring Freedom. It’s a rare occasion that our two Cavalry Regiments get to occupy the same area and we are honored to host them for a “Lucky 16” gathering at Regimental Museum when their training is complete. Our “Lucky 16” celebrates whenever at least two of the three Regiments of the 2d, 3d or 11th (16) get together for any operation. As always, our doors are open to you; once a Blackhorse, always a Blackhorse. ALLONS! The Regiment on Parade The photograph below was taken during a ceremony to honor RCSM Steven Travers, who is leaving the Regiment to become the Command Sergeant Major of the National Training Center. A hearty Blackhorse congratulations to CSM Travers! Page 3 A Moving Tribute to our Men and Women in Uniform and a Reading of the Declaration of Independence In case you missed it, your Regiment was featured during the Superbowl pregame reading of the Declaration of Independence. Regiment is at mark 00:05 and 05:19. Below is the link to the video. Enter this in your browswer and enjoy! http://msn.foxsports.com/video? vid=21dc555c-3d19-4b0a-9839-fbc1359dcd2b A Note from an Early Scholarship Winner Scott Nicholson, son of Platoon Sergeant Glenn Nicholson, KIA 5 May 1968 (This note was sent to us after Scott saw the article about another early scholarship winner in the December eBlast.) This is a note regarding the item about one of the first scholarships awarded in 1972. My brother, David, was awarded one of the first two BHA scholarships in 1972; however, he was not able to use it as over time, the BHA lost contact with my family. Then in 1989, when I was a first-semester sophomore at Wichita State University and while researching the impact of aging and health care on Vietnam veterans, I ran across the address for the BHA: PO Box 11, Ft. Knox, Kentucky. I penned a letter to "whom it may concern" requesting that if anyone served with my Dad, PSgt. Glenn E Nicholson (H Co, 3rd Platoon), to please contact me. A few weeks later I received a phone call from CSM Bill Squires. No mention of the scholarship was made in my letter, I figured it was long gone and had been awarded to my brother. Much to my surprise, the first thing CSM Squires asked is if David was in school; unfortunately he was not. He then said that it could be transferred to my name; at that time I was the only one of 8 kids in college. While my brother was the originally named recipient, and deservedly so, I was honored to be the one who benefited from the scholarship. I owe a lifelong debt of gratitude to CSM Squires for the promise he made to a fallen trooper, the dedication of General Patton, and the ultimate sacrifice made by my father and all troopers KIA. In an odd twist of fate, I am indebted to my brother as well. Throughout my career, the BHA Scholarship has opened doors that I did not anticipate, whether the reference was made in my resume or when made in conversation with a colleague or business prospect. The interest shown by others in the BHA and the 11th ACR lineage is a powerful testament to taking care of our own. To all 11th ACR and BHA members, thank you for your sacrifices they do not go unnoticed. On behalf of my family, thank you! Page 4 The Blackhorse Family General Membership Meetings, Chapter Information, &Events Fort Irwin Chapter CPT Anthony Bradley, Adjutant 11 ACR, PO Box 105068 Fort Irwin, CA 92310 760-380-5740 [email protected] The Fort Irwin Chapter sponsors a golf tournament, a marathon, as well as various other events each year to raise funds that support various community activities on Fort Irwin, and the Blackhorse Association. Gold Vault Chapter Richard Wells, President Rondo Jackson, Secretary 531 Sugar Branch Road Big Clifty, KY 42712 [email protected] 270-242-2833 Air Cavalry Troop Chapter James Angelini 2512 Lower Hunters Trace Louisville, KY 40216 502-449-0262 [email protected] Washington D.C. Chapter John Sylvester 11601 Tori Glen Court Herndon, VA 20170 703-724-6747 [email protected] The chapter meets quarterly. Two of those meetings coincide with Memorial and Veterans Day activities. Nevada/Wildhorse Chapter CSM Paul Kinsey Headquarters, 1/221 Cavalry 6400 Range Road North Las Vegas, NV 89115 775-315-1608 [email protected] Blackhorse Regiment Cavalry Motorcycles Beau Richards 7740 Balboa Blvd, # 146 Van Nuys, CA 91406 818-427-3106 [email protected] www.bhrcm.com The BHRCM support various charities and many Regimental events. Houston/SE Texas Chapter Glenn Allardyce 11835 Cathy Drive Houston, Texas 77065 281-787-0727 [email protected] The chapter holds quarterly meetings and hosted the 2010 Houston Reunion. Other Points of Contact 1-144 Field Artillery MSG Robert Allinder Headquarters, 1-144 FA 3800 West Valhalla Drive Burbank, CA 91505-1128 818-462-6729 [email protected] 155 ABCT LTC Michael Hunter 155 HBCT, MSARNG 2705 W. Jackson Street Tupelo, MS 38803 662-891-9709 [email protected] Blackhorse Troopers Motor Cycle Group Ken Jankel 4877 Lofty Oak Drive Redding, CA 96002 530-222-2211 www.blackhorsetroopers.org The Blackhorse family consists of veterans of the Blackhorse Regiment and attached units from all eras of 11th Cavalry Service. It also includes their family members, as well as friends of the Blackhorse. Our Regiment at this time includes the regimental units at Fort Irwin; 1st Battalion, 144th Field Artillery of the California Army National Guard; and 1st Squadron, 221st Cavalry of the Nevada Army National Guard. All have served or are now serving in the War on Terrorism. While attached to 2nd Squadron in Iraq, 155th Heavy Brigade Combat Team lost 6 of the 21 Blackhorse Troopers KIA in Iraq. Blackhorse Association Membership is extended to all of the above, through Regular, Associate and Corporate Memberships. (See page 12) Never should one generation of Blackhorse Veterans abandon a later generation of Blackhorse Veterans or Active Troopers. Blackhorse Association Officers President J. Glenn Snodgrass [email protected] 703-250-3064 Vice President Jim Tankovich [email protected] 757-357-2168 Secretary Charley Watkins [email protected] 719-576-0559 Scholarships The Blackhorse Association and Blackhorse Scholarships were born of a promise made by Sergeant Major Paul (“Bill”) Squires (deceased) and (then) Colonel George S. Patton (deceased) to a dying L Troop trooper on 2 March 1969 on a battlefield in Vietnam. The vow to “not let people forget us” and “take care of our kids” became the inspiration to form the Blackhorse Association later that year at Fort Knox, KY. We now include all Blackhorse Veterans and Active Duty Troopers. Information and an application can be found on page 10 or on the website at ‘www.blackhorse.org’ or contact: Bob Hurt, Scholarship Director The Blackhorse Association 75 E Shadowpoint Circle The Woodlands, TX 77381 281-364-7285 [email protected] Treasurer Crystal Kruger [email protected] 803-755-7389 Fund Raising Don Wicks [email protected] 509-943-5118 Membership Dale Skiles [email protected] 501-749-8888 PO Box 13291 Maumelle, AR 72113 Scholarships Bob Hurt [email protected] 281-364-7285 Communications/Editor Clint Ancker [email protected] 913-724-4420 Special Projects Director Glenn Allardyce [email protected] 281-469-4034 Historian Roger Cirillo [email protected] 703-719-7252 Museum Curator SSG Michael McLean [email protected] 760-380-6607 11th ACR PAO CPT Chad Cooper [email protected] 760-380-5112 Page 5 Continued from page 1 troopers in battle conditions. Climatically this is a region of extremes. There is summer heat of 115 degrees; freezing temperature in winter. Long dry spells alternate with cloudbursts.” This was to be one of the Army’s first training areas for horse cavalry operations in a desert environment. However, 11th Cavalry Troopers turned in their horses for armored vehicles before they had much of a chance to train in the desert. 1952 Ground Zero prepared to assault the area directly beneath where the A-Bomb had exploded. Within an hour of the blast, 120 paratroopers jumped from C-46s, while the 11th Cavalry tank platoon, accompanied by infantrymen and engineers, assaulted the objective. The Sixth Army Commander, LTG Joseph Swing, was quoted later as saying: “The only difficulty we experienced was that everybody got a mouthful of dirt when the shockwave swept past.” He concluded: “The fireball was just another piece of firepower to us." The general failed to mention that the ‘mouthful of dirt’ was radioactive. 1984 Anti-War Demonstrations In 1952, the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment was stationed at Camp Carson, Colorado. This was a period of major changes for the Army, as the lessons of the Korean War were being assimilated. However, the primary driver of change was the need to design a ground force capable of operating on an atomic battlefield. The Soviets had detonated their first atomic bomb just three years earlier. As a result, U.S. Army soldiers were being organized and trained to fight both a conventional war (as in Korea) and an atomic war (as expected in Europe). Soldiers were also being used to test the effects of atomic warfare. Such was the case on 22 April 1952 when a platoon of 11th Cavalry Troopers in M-41 tanks, along with paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division, and small detachments of infantrymen, engineers, and medical personnel set up in the Yucca Flats Atomic Proving Ground in Nevada. The troops were located just four miles away when the bomb, dropped from a B-50 bomber, detonated 3,500 feet above the desert sands. A reporter for the Los Angeles Times, who was on the scene, described it: “A searing sun, unshielded by clouds, was blacked out at the instant of the unworldly incandescence of the initial flash.” Ten seconds after the blast, the infantrymen got out of their foxholes and the Cavalry Troopers opened the hatches on their tanks. The GIs reportedly “laughed and cracked jokes” as they But it was the 300-plus mostly women demonstrators who gathered outside the gates of Downs Barracks in late September that were of the most interest to the Blackhorse Troopers. After reading a statement in German and English condemning the East-West arms race, the demonstrators marched to the Dom (cathedral) in downtown Fulda, where a council of German Catholic bishops was underway. Twenty of the “anarchists and criminals” were arrested when they tried to force their way into a meeting of the bishops. Meanwhile, the platoon occupying OP Alpha was placed on high alert as 20 demonstrators were at work in Rasdorf. This group of protesters released white balloons with the slogans “swords into plowshares” and “unilateral disarmament” on them. The prevailing winds carried the ‘peace balloons’ into East Germany, where they undoubtedly went into the Stasi archives. The National Personnel Records Center(NPRC) has provided the following website for veterans to gain access to their DD-214's: http://www.vetrecs.archives.gov/ For Inquiries not referenced in this issue, contact the Secretary at: Charley Watkins Secretary, Blackhorse Association 3113 B Broadmoor Valley Road Colorado Springs, CO 80906 Phone: 719-576-0559 LTG Sam Wetzel was, by most accounts, a Cell: 970-620-0402 straight-spoken man. So, when anti-NATO [email protected] demonstrators attempted to disrupt the Autumn Forge 84 exercise, it came as no surprise that the V Corps Commander labeled them “anarchists Mail Scholarship & Operations and criminals.” The REFORGER exercise Donations to: involved over 300,000 U.S., British, Belgian and Blackhorse Association West German troops, to include the entire 11th ATTN: Treasurer ACR. The exercise was carried out along the P.O. Box 84093 Lexington, SC 29073 famous Fulda Gap, giving First Squadron a home field advantage in the war game. Not surprisingly, troops from the Warsaw Pact conducted their own “Shield 84” exercise in East Germany and Czechoslovakia at the same time. How you can help the Blackhorse Association. The Blackhorse Newsletter is printed and mailed twice annually to some 15,565 members. We believe this publication is vital to fulfilling the principles of our organization. However, approximately 42 percent of the operating expense of the association involves printing and mailing the paper version. We can sharply reduce these costs if you have access to a computer and choose to receive the newsletter electronically. You can do so by visiting the website (www.blackhorse.org) and clicking the News and Events page, and under "Newsletter" click on the red words and provide your preferred email address for delivery. The Blackhorse Association, Inc. (a non-profit organization) The Blackhorse is published for the benefit of members and friends of The Blackhorse Association. This newsletter contains past, present, and future news of interest that includes membership information, reunion updates and various fundraising activities as well as articles of interest submitted by Troopers from many eras of Blackhorse service. Submissions are welcome and encouraged. All newsletter correspondence or inquiries should be made in writing to: Blackhorse Editor 17946 156th Terrace Bonner Springs, KS 66012 [email protected] Deadlines: January 15 & July 15 Page 6 Page 7 11th Cavalry Memorial Paver Project Planning for the relocation of the 11th Cavalry memorial from Fort Knox to the planned new National Armor and Cavalry Museum at Fort Benning has begun. It is anticipated that the first phase of development of the National Armor and Cavalry Museum will be completed by October 2013. Our goal is to complete the move and construction of the new memorial site no later than early 2015. This gives us approximately two years to complete the project. The entire memorial complex will be moved, including the large Vietnam Memorial, the three memorials (obelisks) that are dedicated to the Philippine, World War II and Iraqi Freedom campaigns, plus the nearly 1,100 granite bricks that surround the memorial. All bricks will be catalogued prior to the move and will be placed in the new location in the same relative position. The cost of the move will be shared between the Blackhorse Association and the 11th Armored Cavalry's Veterans of Vietnam and Cambodia. To help offset the cost of this project both organizations will be offering new granite bricks. Anyone can purchase a memorial brick. Memorial bricks are a lasting tribute of your service to our regiment. The bricks enable all of us to participate and show our support for our fellow Blackhorse troopers whose names are listed on the memorials. The bricks measure 8 x 4 x 2 inches and can accommodate inscriptions of up to three lines of 15 characters per line. Many choose to have their name, unit and years of service with the regiment inscribed on their brick. Others choose to have a special message inscribed. Some of the messages are very touching: "IN OUR HEARTS", "BROTHERS 4-EVER", "I NEVER FORGET" and "ALL GAVE SOME-SOME GAVE ALL" are just a few of the personal messages on the bricks. The cost of a granite brick is $100. We are beginning this fundraiser now so we can insure that sufficient funds are available in plenty of time to complete the project by early 2015. The bricks will be placed at the new memorial site at Fort Benning during the construction phase. The bricks add a very special and personal touch to the memorial. We urge you to support this worthwhile project by purchasing a brick. 11th Armored Cavalry Memorial - Brick Order Form Print your message in the boxes below exactly as you want your brick to appear. Be sure to leave a blank box between words. Each line accommodates a maximum of 15 characters, including blank boxes and punctuation (commas, periods, hyphens). If ordering more than one brick, photocopy this form or use a separate sheet of paper. Each brick is 4” x 8” x 2”. Name_______________________________________________ Phone___________________ Address______________________________________ City_______________________State__________Zip__________ Check enclosed ($100 per brick)_____ Visa_____MasterCard_____ Card # ________________________________ Exp Date _____ Amount to be charged to credit card $_______________________ Signature (Required for Credit Cards) _____________________________________________ Note: If ordering more than one brick, please submit a separate form for each. Please make checks payable to: The Blackhorse Association. Mail this form with your check or credit card information (no cash please) to: Don Wicks Director of Fundraising The Blackhorse Association 1807 Hunt Avenue Richland, WA 99354-2645 Page 8 The 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment's Blackhorse Association will hold its annual Blackhorse Family Runion 12-15 June 2014 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The reunion is open to all past and present troops who served with the Regiment, the REgimental Community, and all separate units who supported the Regiment. The reunion will be held at the Hotel Elegante Conference and Event Center, 2886 South Circle Drive, Colorado Springs, CO, 80908. The Elegante is in the process of a major/several million dollar renova-tion. Rooms have been set aside for reunion attendees at a special negotiated rate of $115 per night. Attendees are encouraged to make plans early. For reservations please visit https://www.reseze.net/cassets/mkt/mcmelegante/landing_pages/MCM_Colorado_Blackhorse_Association.html or call (800) 981-4012 (reservations) or you can call their Front Desk directly at (719) 576-5900 (and be sure to tell them our Group ID number: 693108 and that you are attending the Blackhorse reunion). For additional lodging options, go to http://www.expedia.com/Colorado-Springs-Hotels.d602991.Travel-Guide-Hotels. The Schedule of Events Is: Thursday, June 12: 8am – 5pm: Registration/Hospitality Room/Silent Auction 8am – Until: Blackhorse Store Open 7am: Golf Tournament - first tee time 0800 at Fort Carson course. They have plenty of golf clubs, shoes and carts to rent. We need to know who wants to play golf. 1pm – 4pm: Tour of Fort Carson Sightseeing on your own (see options below) 6pm – Until: Hospitality Room (about 9PM) open bar in the lobby. Friday, June 13: 8am – 5pm: Registration/Hospitality Room/Silent Auction 8am – Until: Blackhorse Store Open 7am – 10am: 5th Annual Reunion Motorcycle Rally 10am: Load buses for Memorial Service 10:30am –11:30am: Memorial Service at Blackhorse Memorial tank Sightseeing on your own (see options below) 6pm – Until: Stable Your Mount casual evening social (bar opens and food served at 6pm and program begins at 7pm). Cash bar with heavy hors d’oeuvres. Saturday, June 14: 8am – 3pm: Registration/Hospitality Room/Silent Auction 8am – 5pm: Blackhorse Store Open (Reopen for one hour following banquet) 8am – 9am: Association Directors closed meeting 9am – 11am: Association Annual Business meeting. All members are encouraged to attend. Sightseeing on your own (see options below) 6pm – 10pm: Cocktails/Banquet (Coat & Tie recommended). Cocktails begin at 6pm, dinner at 7pm. Program includes announcement of scholarship recipients for this year. Keynote speaker tentatively will be GEN JD Thurman, recently retired CINC in Korea. Silent Auction winners will be announced. Sunday, June 15: 9am: Non-denominational church service-Hospitality Room Farewells There are over 50 tourist attractions in the Colorado Springs area. Some of the more popular sights are as listed below, but you will find others in your reunion bags: Pikes Peak National WWII Aviation Museum Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Pikes Peak Cog Railway Air Force Academy and Chapel Cave of the Winds US Olympic Training Center Gambling in Cripple Creek Garden of the God Seven Falls Broadmoor Hotel Old Colorado City Manitou Springs Cliff Dwellings North Pole Registration fee is $95 for adults and $30 for children 12 and under who do not attend the banquet. This fee covers reunion mementos, small hors d'oeuvres at the Friday evening Stable Your Mount social, the Saturday banquet with wine, and other reunion costs. Please complete the attached registration form and make checks payable to “The Blackhorse Association”. Attendee transportation, including airfare, rental car, and lodging must be organized separately. For more information, see www.blackhorse.org and www.blackhorse.com; or contact one of the following Reunion Committee members: Charley Watkins at (719) 576 0059, [email protected], Tom Smart at (703) 973 3703, [email protected], or Glenn Snodgrass at (703) 250 3064, [email protected], Page 9 REGISTRATION FORM Blackhorse Reunion Colorado Springs June 12-15, 2014 Please complete and return with your check ($95 per adult; $30 per child 12 and under not attending banquet) made payable to “The Blackhorse Association,” or credit card information (see below). Name: ____________________________________________ Address:______________________City________________State_______________Zip:_________ Home Phone:______________ Cell Phone:__________________ E-Mail Address:_____________________ Unit(s) and Dates Served:_____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ ATTENDEES: In addition to your name above. Also, please indicate anyone under 12, and any special food needs for the banquet, which will be served buffet-style and include beef, chicken and vegetarian options. NAME(s) __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ Please send your completed registration form along with your check or credit card information to: Tom Smart 18890 Loudoun Orchard Road Leesburg, VA 20175 For Credit Card Users: MC ___ Visa ___ Discover___ Number:_______________________________ (We cannot accept American Express) Expiration Date: ______________ Dollar amount to be charged $___________________________ Name as it appears on credit card: _______________________________________________________ Billing address (street or P.O., city, state, zip code) _________________________________________ _________________________________________ Trooper Support: If you would like to support an active regimental trooper to attend the reunion events, please include your donations below as a part of your overall registration fee. Any funds remaining will be donated to the scholarship fund. Yes, I would like to sponsor active troopers to the reunion. Donation: $___________ Total for registration: $___________ Please register early – it will help with our planning. A full refund will be provided for cancellations that are received by May 31, 2014. Page 10 Blackhorse Soldier and Noncommissioned Officer Awards It is with great pride that the members of the Blackhorse Association recognize the achievements of the Soldier and Noncommissioned Officer of the Quarter of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. We are de-lighted to see these leaders and potential leaders excel and carry forward the proud traditions of our Regiment. The Blackhorse Association presents each recipient with a monogrammed windbreaker and Association Membership as a small token of our thanks for their service to our Regiment and our Nation. SOLDIER NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICER 2nd Quarter, FY 14 Soldier of the Quarter, Specialist Adam J. Stafford Specialist Stafford is a 35M Human Intelligence (HUMINT) Collector. He attended the University of Texas at Arlington where he earned a Bachelor's degree in Police Science and Sociology and was honored as a two-time All-American in Track and Field. He completed Basic Combat Training at Fort Leonard Wood, MO, and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Huachuca, AZ, graduating in the top five Soldiers in his class. Fort Irwin is his first duty station and he is assigned to the Vanguard Military Intelligence Company, Regimental Support Squadron. He is the Team Leader for the HUMINT Collection Team. During training rotations, SPC Stafford operates undercover to gain actionable intelligence in support of the Regimental Commander's Priority Intelligence Requirements. He is also responsible for conducting classes on Tactical Questioning for Vanguard MICO and TICO Soldiers. SPC Stafford has earned the Army Achievement Medal, two Certificates of Achievement, and the Order of Hamby, Third Class for his excellence in Human Intelligence Collection. He graduated the Warrior Leader's Course on the Commandant's List in July 2013. SPC Stafford's shortterm goals include promotion to Sergeant, starting his Master's Degree, and representing the Regimental Support Squadron and 11th ACR at the Fort Irwin/National Training Center Soldier of the Year competition. SPC Stafford's long-term goals are to make the Army a career, earn the rank of Command Sergeant Major, finish his Master's Degree, and complete a PhD. He is married to Taryn Stafford and has a step-son, Tayler Knutsen. NCO of the Quarter, Sergeant Anthony W. Lancaster SGT Anthony Lancaster spent almost four years in the Arkansas Army National Guard. He transitioned into the Active Army in December 2009. He attended Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. His first active duty station was Fort Riley, Kansas where he was as a Paralegal Specialist in the 1st Infantry Division, and later was a battalion paralegal for the 84th Ordnance Battalion (EOD). He was selected to be on his battalion commander's personnel security detail due to his fknowledge of convoy security from his National Guard time. His civilian education includes thirty-three credit hours with Park University in the pursuit of an Associate's Degree in Criminal Justice. Among other awards, he has earned the Army Achievement Medal (2 OLC), Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, Army Reserve Commendation Achievement Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, and the Global War On Terrorism Service Medal. SGT Lancaster intends compelete his Associates degree in Criminal Justice. He wants to become the Fort Irwin NCO of the Year. He also intends to actively work to better himself and his career through military education and promotion to Sergeant Major. He wants to be the Army Noncommissioned Officer of the Year. He is married to Liane Marie, and they have three sons: Jacob, Brayden, and Alexander. Page 11 The Blackhorse NON-PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE April 2014 PAID PERMIT 326 Bryan, TX 77801 The Blackhorse Association, Inc PO Box 13291 Maumelle, AR 72113 Mailing Mailing Mailing Mailing Mailing BLACKHORSE ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP Address Address Address Address Address Line Line Line Line Line 1 2 3 4 5 INFORMATION UPDATE _____ NEW APPLICATION _____ FIRST NAME______________________M.I.___ LAST NAME ______________________________________ MAILING ADDRESS____________________________________________________________________________ CITY/STATE/ZIP_______________________________________________________________________________ PHONE NUMBER_______________________________EMAIL ADDRESS ________________________________ PERMANENT ADDRESS________________________________________________________________________ CITY/STATE/ZIP_______________________________________________________________________________ BLACKHORSE SERVICE: UNIT ___________________________________ DATES (MO/YR to MO/YR) ______________________ UNIT ___________________________________ DATES (MO/YR to MO/YR) ______________________ UNIT ___________________________________ DATES (MO/YR to MO/YR) ______________________ RANK WHILE IN SERVICE ______________________* HONORABLY DISCHARGED (YES/NO) CURRENT STATUS: ACTIVE DUTY ___ ARMY RETIRED ___ARMY VETERAN ___ GUARD ___ RESERVIST _____ OPTIONS: LIFE($125.00)___ANNUAL($25.00)_____ ASSOC ($35.00/YR) ______ CORPORARE ($500.00/YR) _____ GOLD STAR LIFE ___(NO FEE FOR FAMILY MEMBERS OF TROOPERS KILLED WHILE SERVING WITH 11th ACR) To save the Association printing and mailing expense, I choose to receive all newsletters by e-mail only ______(Check ) I hereby authorize the release of my address, phone number, and email to other Troopers who served with the 11th ACR. I also swear that the above information is true and that I will abide by the Association Bylaws if accepted for membership. SIGNATURE ____________________________________________________ DATE __________________ This information is required in order to verify service with the Blackhorse Regiment and US Army by means of unit status reports and morning reports. Instructions: Lifetime and Annual Memberships are open to all Troopers who served with the 11th ACR. Associate Memberships are open to family and friends of the Regiment. Please fill out all required information and return this form with check or money order, payable (no cash please) to the following address: The Blackhorse Association, Inc. ATTN: MEMBERSHIP P.O. Box 13291 Maumelle, AR 72113 For Credit Card Users: MC__Visa__Disc__:Number____________________________Expiration Date:____________ Name as it appears on credit card: _______________________________________________Amount $___________________
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