| 26th Cavalry Regiment | |
|---|---|
 Philippine Department Shoulder Sleeve Insignia |
|
| Active | 1922-1951 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | Cavalry |
| Type | Cavalry |
| Size | Regiment |
| Garrison/HQ | Fort Stotsenburg |
| Motto | Our strength is in loyalty[1] |
| Colors | Yellow |
| Engagements | World War II *Philippine Islands |
| Decorations |
  |
| U.S. Cavalry Regiments | |
|---|---|
| Previous | Next |
| 18th Cavalry Regiment | 31st Cavalry Regiment |
The 26th Cavalry Regiment (Philippine Scouts) (26th CAV (PS)) was part of USAFFE's Philippine Department, during World War II. By January of 1942, the 26th was effectively destroyed. The ABMC list 301 dead whom were members of this regiment interred at Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.
Contents |
Formation of the 26th Cavalry Regiment
The 26th CAV was formed, in 1922, at Fort Stotsenburg, from elements of the 25th Field Artillery Regiment and the 43d Infantry Regiment (PS). The regiment was based here, with the exception of Troop F (which was based at Nichols Field). This unit contained, on July 31, 1941, 784 enlisted troops and 52 officers.[4]
Combat History
Philippine Islands
Following the 1941 Japanese invasion, the 26th participated in the Allied withdrawal to the Bataan Peninsula. In doing so, the unit conducted a classic delaying action; this allowed other, less mobile units, to safety withdraw to the peninsula.[5] The 26th Cavalry Regiment, consisting mostly of Philippine Scouts, was the last U.S. cavalry regiment to engage in horse-mounted warfare. This charge occurred at the town of Morong on January 16, 1942.[6][7][8]
Guerilla Activities
Following the delaying action down the central Luzon plain, Troop C was cut off from the rest of the Regiment, having been ordered into Northern Luzon in an attempt to defend Baguio by Major General Wainwright in late December 1941. Eventually the unit was supplemented by other soldiers and guerillas, and remained an effective fighting force well into 1943.[9][10] Other Guerilla organizations were lead by Officers of the Regiment, against the surrender orders, or had enlisted members who had escaped Bataan.[11] However, those organizations did not have a direct connection to the regiment, as the Cagayan-Apayao Forces did.
Descendant Units
The regiment was inactivated in 1946, then completely disbanded in 1951.[12] 173rd Infantry Detachment (LRS) of the Rhode Island Army National Guard claims that it was formed from the existing troops of Troop D, 1/26th Cavalry in October 1986.[13]
Decorations of the 26th Cavalry Regiment
- Philippines Islands Campaign streamer
- Three Presidential Unit Citations
- Philippine Presidential Unit Citation
Distinctive Unit Insignia
The insignia is the crest and motto of the regiment. The Crest is described as
On a wreath of the colors a black horse's head charging erased at the neck bridled and a dexter cubit arm raised erased habited olive drab the hand grasping a saber at the charge all proper.
The regiment's motto was then placed within a white scroll that extended from the point of the saber to the hand. As with the Distinctive Unit Insignia of the 31st Infantry, the insignias were issued in left or right facing, so that the horse was never in retreat, always facing forward.[1][14]
See also
Notes
- ^ a b 26th Cavalry Regiment, http://vfwpost7591.org/26thcav.html, retrieved 2008-01-31
- ^ Steve Shaw (4 September 2008). "The Last U.S. Calvary Charge". Parting Shot. Western Shooting Horse Magazine. http://www.westernshootinghorse.com/wshcontent/2008/09/04/the-last-cavalry-charge-in-us-history/#. Retrieved 22 October 2009.
- ^ Headquarters, Department of the Army; Major General J.C. Lambert (1961). Unit Citation and Campaign Credit Register. Department of the Army. p. 75. http://www.army.mil/usapa/epubs/pdf/p672_1.pdf. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
- ^ GLUECKSTEIN, FRED, "Last Mounted Cavalry Charge: Luzon 1942, The", Army, http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3723/is_200507/ai_n14685812, retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Merriam, Ray (1999), War in the Philippines, Merriam Press, p. 70–82, ISBN 1576381641, http://books.google.com/books?id=utbD8wwF91kC&pg=PA70&lpg=PA70&dq=26th+cavalry&source=web&ots=PGuA3JpiEt&sig=upw4pWSJRiZX7uT_ys6d-snEGss#PPA70,M1, retrieved 2008-01-31
- ^ The Last Charge, http://www.edwinpriceramsey.com/the_battle.asp, retrieved 2008-01-31
- ^ Cavalry Lasts - The Last Cavalry Charge, http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/cavalry-lasts.htm, retrieved 2008-01-31
- ^ John Skow (1987-11-23). "In Kansas: Echoing Hoofbeats". Times Magazine. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,966029-3,00.html. Retrieved 2009-05-12.
- ^ Norling, Bernard (2005). The Intrepid Guerrillas of North Luzon. University Press of Kentucky. pp. 284. ISBN 0813191343, 9780813191348. http://books.google.com/books?id=xL-JoQYiwykC. Retrieved 2009-05-21.
- ^ "The Intrepid Guerrillas of North Luzon". BOOK REVIEW. Defense Journal. 2002. http://www.defencejournal.com/2002/june/guerrillas.htm. Retrieved 2009-05-21.
- ^ "Last of cavalrymen a true hero". Old Gold & Black. Wake Forest University. 2003-03-06. http://www.oldgoldandblack.com/o_article/last_of_cavalrymen_a_true_hero/. Retrieved 2009-05-21.
- ^ "Records of the 26th Cavalry Regiment (Philippine Scouts): A Descriptive Inventory of Documents in the U.S. Cavalry Memorial Research Library". U.S. Cavalry Memorial Research Library. http://www.uscavalry.org/cav_library/26th.pdf. Retrieved 9 December 2009.
- ^ "173rd Infantry Detachment - Long Range Surveillance". Rhode Island National Guard. http://states.ng.mil/sites/RI/army/56tc/173lrs/default.aspx. Retrieved 2009-03-30.
- ^ Capistrano, Robert, Insignia of the Philippine Scouts (Includes image of DUI), http://www.philippine-scouts.org/the-scouts/insignia-memorabilia/insignia-of-the-philippine-scouts.html, retrieved 2008-01-31
External links
- See coat of arms at [1]
- Edwin Price Ramsey Web site Lt. Ramsey led the cavalry charge at Morong, mentioned in this article.
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