The 317th Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry unit of the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

during the

interwar period In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days), the end of the World War I, First World War to the beginning of the World War II, Second World War. The in ...

. The unit was activated as an Illinois

Organized Reserve The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed Forces. Since July 2020 ...

unit during the interwar period. It was disbanded after the United States entered

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

History

The regiment was constituted on 15 October 1921 in the Organized Reserves, part of the 65th Cavalry Division's 159th Cavalry Brigade in the

Sixth Corps Area Sixth Corps Area was a Corps area, effectively a military district, of the United States Army from 1921 to the 1940s. The headquarters was established at Sheridan Reserve Center, Fort Sheridan, Illinois, in August 1920, from portions of the former C ...

. It was initiated (activated) on 8 August August 1922 with all units in Chicago. In June 1926 and 1927, it sponsored the Military Tournament at

Soldier Field Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) since 1 ...

. On 1 July 1929, a new 3rd Squadron was activated in Chicago. The regiment usually held its inactive training period meetings at Chicago's Post Office Building. It conducted regular equestrian training at Fort Sheridan on the horses of the 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment. The 317th conducted summer training at Fort Sheridan with the 14th Cavalry and at Fort Des Moines in some years. Its primary

ROTC The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC ( or )) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces. Overview While ROTC graduate officers serve in all ...

feeder school was the

University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the University ...

, and its designated mobilization training station was Camp Grant. It was disbanded on 18 October 1943 after the United States entered

and its assigned personnel were called up for active duty. An unrelated 317th Armored Cavalry Regiment briefly existed postwar as an Illinois reserve unit.

Commanders

The 317th was commanded by the following officers: * Major Ira G. Holcomb (8 August 1922 – 5 January 1923) * Colonel Tryggve A. Siqueland (6 January 1923 – 7 February 1937) * Lieutenant Colonel Lawrence M. Graham (8 February 1937–March 1941)

Heraldry

The regiment's coat of arms was approved on 21 March 1924 and its distinctive unit insignia was approved on 20 December. Both were rescinded on 10 February 1959. The distinctive unit insignia was a 1 1/8 inch (2.86 cm) gold colored metal and enamel device. It included a black shield depicting the golden head and wings of a unicorn. The regimental motto, "Audax Et Vigilans" (Daring and Vigilant), was attached on a scroll to the bottom of the insignia. The unicorn symbolized continued loyalty to duty and obligation and faithfulness to the service and the country. Its coat of arms was similar to the distinctive unit insignia except that it added the

Minuteman Minutemen were members of the organized New England colonial militia companies trained in weaponry, tactics, and military strategies during the American Revolutionary War. They were known for being ready at a minute's notice, hence the name. Mi ...

crest of the Organized Reserve and omitted the motto.

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * {{Cite book, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wI8xAQAAIAAJ&dq=%2265th+tank+destroyer+battalion%22&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=%22307th+cavalry%22, title=Cavalry regiments of the US Army, last=Sawicki, first=James A., publisher=Wyvern Publications, year=1985, isbn=9780960240463, location=Dumfries, Virginia Cavalry regiments of the United States Army Military units and formations established in 1922 Military units and formations disestablished in 1943 Military units and formations in Illinois 1922 establishments in Illinois 1943 disestablishments in Illinois