The 73rd Cavalry Regiment is a Cavalry

Regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

in 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 ...

, first formed in 1941. The three squadrons of the 73rd Cavalry Regiment ("Airborne Thunder") provide reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition (

RSTA Reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition (RSTA) refers to a joint doctrine of reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition conducted by the United States Armed Forces. RSTA operations are designed to support military operation ...

) to the

Brigade Combat Team The brigade combat team (BCT) is the basic deployable unit of maneuver in the U.S. Army. A brigade combat team consists of one combat arms branch maneuver brigade, and its assigned support and fire units. A brigade is normally commanded by a ...

s of the

82nd Airborne Division The 82nd Airborne Division is an Airborne forces, airborne infantry division (military), division of the United States Army specializing in Paratrooper, parachute assault operations into denied areasSof, Eric"82nd Airborne Division" ''Spec Ops ...

. 3rd Squadron is assigned to 1st Brigade, 1st Squadron is assigned to 2nd Brigade, and 5th Squadron is assigned to 3rd Brigade. There is currently no 2nd or 4th Squadron, nor is there a regimental command. Formerly organized as the 4th Battalion of the 68th Armor Regiment, the 3rd Battalion (Airborne) 73rd Armor was equipped with M-551 Sheridan and LAV-25 armored and reconnaissance vehicles to support the 82nd Airborne Division with light armor support. The 4/73rd Armor battalion was a 1st Infantry Division Forward unit at Panzer Kaserne in Boblingen, Germany during the Cold War. 1/73 Armor Battalion was stationed at Camp Beavers, South Korea, from 1963 to 1971.

Lineage

Activated 1 June 1941 at Fort Lewis, Washington. * Inactivated 8 February 1946 at

Camp Kilmer Located in Central New Jersey, Camp Kilmer is a former United States Army camp that was activated in June 1942 as a staging area and part of an installation of the New York Port of Embarkation. The camp was organized as part of the Army Service ...

, New Jersey. Activated 1 August 1948 at

Fort Benning Fort Benning is a United States Army post near Columbus, Georgia, adjacent to the Alabama–Georgia border. Fort Benning supports more than 120,000 active-duty military, family members, reserve component soldiers, retirees and civilian employees ...

, Georgia. * Reorganized and redesignated 15 January 1948 as the

756th Heavy Tank Battalion The 756th Tank Battalion was a tank battalion of the United States Army active during the Second World War and, as the 73rd Tank Battalion, during the early Cold War. It was later redesignated as the 73rd Armor Regiment, and is perpetuated today ...

, and assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division. * Reorganized and redesignated 14 July 1950 as the

73rd Tank Battalion The 756th Tank Battalion was a tank battalion of the United States Army active during the Second World War and, as the 73rd Tank Battalion, during the early Cold War. It was later redesignated as the 73rd Armor Regiment, and is perpetuated today b ...

, and relieved from assignment to the 3d Infantry Division. Assigned 10 November 1951 to the 7th Infantry Division. * Inactivated 1 July 1957 in Korea and relieved from assignment to the 7th Infantry Division. Reorganized and redesignated 2 October 1962 as the 73d Armor a parent regiment under the

Combat Arms Regimental System The Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS), was the method of assigning unit designations to units of some of the combat arms branches of the United States Army, including Infantry, Special Forces, Field Artillery, and Armor, from 1957 to 1981. ...

. * 4 March 1984 3rd Battalion (Airborne) 73rd Armor, Activated and Assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. * Withdrawn 16 January 1988 from the Combat Arms Regimental System, and Reorganized under the

United States Army Regimental System The United States Army Regimental System (USARS) is an organizational and classification system used by the United States Army. It was established in 1981 to replace the Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS) to provide each soldier with continu ...

, with headquarters at

Fort Bragg Fort Bragg is a military installation of the United States Army in North Carolina, and is one of the largest military installations in the world by population, with around 54,000 military personnel. The military reservation is located within Cum ...

, North Carolina. * Inactivate 15 July 1997 of the 3rd Battalion, 73rd Armor Regiment at Fort Bragg, North Carolina Campaign Participation Credit World War II - Algeria-French Morocco (with Arrowhead), Naples-Foggia, Rome-Arno, Southern France (with Arrowhead), Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe; Korean War - UN Defensive, UN Offensive, CCF Intervention, First UN Counteroffensives, CCF Spring Offensive, UN Summer-Fall Offensive, Second Korean Winter, Third Korean Winter, Korea, summer 1953; Armed Forces Expeditions - Panama (with arrowhead); Southwest Asia- Defense of Saudi Arabia, Liberation and Defense of Kuwait; War On Terrorism - Iraq: National Resolution, Iraqi Surge, Iraqi Sovereignty DECORATIONS: Presidential Unit Citation (Army), Streamer embroidered COLMAR, French Croix de Guerre with Palm, World War II, Streamer embroidered CENTRAL ITALY, French Croix de Guerre with Silver-Gilt Star, World War II, Streamer embroidered ITALY, Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, Streamer embroidered INCHON TO SEOUL, Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, Streamer embroidered KOREA 1950-1952, Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, Streamer embroidered KOREA 1951-1953, Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, Streamer embroidered KOREA 1951-1957, Presidential Unit Citation (Army), Streamer embroidered TURKI VILLAGE, IRAQ, Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered IRAQ 2006-2007 Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered IRAQ 2008-2009

Current status

The three currently active squadrons as follows are all subordinated to the three

Brigade Combat Teams The brigade combat team (BCT) is the basic deployable unit of maneuver in the U.S. Army. A brigade combat team consists of one combat arms branch maneuver brigade, and its assigned support and fire units. A brigade is normally commanded by a ...

of the

stationed in

, North Carolina: * US Army 1st Squadron-73rd Cavalry Regiment Flash

1st Squadron is the Cavalry Squadron of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team. * US Army 3rd Squadron-73rd Cavalry Regiment Flash

3rd Squadron is the Cavalry Squadron of the 1st Brigade Combat Team. * US Army 5th Squadron-73rd Cavalry Regiment Flash

5th Squadron is the Cavalry Squadron of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team.

Coat of Arms

Blazon

* Shield: Per

fess In heraldry, a fess or fesse (from Middle English ''fesse'', from Old French ''faisse'', from Latin ''fascia'', "band") is a charge on a coat of arms (or flag) that takes the form of a band running horizontally across the centre of the shield.Wo ...

Azure and Gules, on a fess Or a hand in armor grasping a bolt of lightning, both Vert. * Crest: On a wreath of the colors Or and Azure, issuing from a flame of six tongues, three to dexter and three to sinister, charged with an arrowhead Argent within a crescent Vert, the head of a mace formed by a Korean

Taeguk ''Taegeuk'' (, ) is a Korean term cognate with the Chinese term ''Taiji'' ( Wade-Giles spelling: ''T'ai-chi''), meaning "supreme ultimate", although it can also be translated as "great polarity / duality". The symbol was chosen for the design ...

. * Motto: HONOR, FIDELITY, COURAGE.

Symbolism

* Shield: The shield is divided red and blue per fess, with a fess of gold thereon, which are the three colors of the shoulder sleeve insignia of the armored tank forces. The lightning bolt is symbolical of the striking power of the organization. * Crest: The six tongues of the flames represent the unit’s six decorations. The crescent and arrowhead symbolize the Algeria-French Morocco and

southern France Southern France, also known as the South of France or colloquially in French language, French as , is a defined geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Marais Poitevin,Louis Papy, ''Le midi ...

assaults, World War II, and the colors red and green are used to represent the French

Croix de Guerre The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awa ...

awarded for the Italian campaigns. The mace in the arms of Colmar suggested the mace head to refer to that campaign. The Taeguk represents the Korean War and the three Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citations from that nation. The mace also alludes to the striking power of armor. * Background: The coat of arms was originally approved for the 756th Tank Battalion, Light on 15 May 1942. It was redesignated for the 756th Tank Battalion on 22 November 1943. The insignia was redesignated for the 73d Tank Battalion on 23 October 1953. It was redesignated for the 73d Armor on 19 March 1963. It was amended to add the crest on 15 December 1965. It was redesignated effective 25 February 2004, for the 73d Cavalry Regiment.

Notable soldiers

Medals of Honor

* 2LT

Raymond Zussman Raymond Zussman (July 23, 1917 – September 21, 1944) was a second lieutenant in the United States Army and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in France during World War II. Bio ...

, A Co, 756th Tank Battalion, September 12, 1944 * 2LT James L. Harris, A Co, 756th Tank Battalion, October 7, 1944CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR SOCIETY

Other

Clint Lorance Clint Allen Lorance (born December 13, 1984) is a former United States Army officer who is known for having been convicted and pardoned for war crimes. While serving as a first lieutenant in the infantry in the War in Afghanistan with the 4th ...

, former US Army first lieutenant convicted of 2012 second-degree murder for two battlefield killings in Afghanistan; sentenced to 20 years imprisonment; incarcerated at Fort Leavenworth; pardoned and released after six years.

References

* * ''Historical register and dictionary of the United States Army, from ...'', Volume 1 By Francis Bernard Heitma

* ''Encyclopedia of United States Army insignia and uniforms'' By William K. Emerson (page 51

* http://fortbeavers.tripod.com/id43.html * https://history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/lineages/branches/armor-cav/073cvrg005sq.htm * https://www.cmohs.org/

External links

{{Commons category
Beret Flash of 1st Squadron/73rd Cavalry Regiment
Cavalry regiments of the United States Army, 073 073