Squadron A refers to the historic cavalry unit of New York City's

Upper East Side The Upper East Side, sometimes abbreviated UES, is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 96th Street to the north, the East River to the east, 59th Street to the south, and Central Park/Fifth Avenue to the wes ...

. Squadron A originated with a group of wealthy young gentlemen with great interest in

equestrian The word equestrian is a reference to equestrianism, or horseback riding, derived from Latin ' and ', "horse". Horseback riding (or Riding in British English) Examples of this are: * Equestrian sports *Equestrian order, one of the upper classes i ...

sport who formed themselves into a group called the 'New York Hussars". They adopted blue uniforms and headgear for ceremonial purposes that mimicked Eurasian fashions dating back to the Napoleonic and

Crimean War The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia. Geopolitical causes of the war included the ...

s. In an effort to become more professional and militarized, they extended membership to Captain Charles F. Roe, 20-year veteran of the US Army Cavalry, who inspired its membership with the cavalry spirit and military discipline. His efforts were successful to the point that in 1889 53 men were mustered into the

New York State National Guard The New York (state), New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs (NYS DMNA) is responsible for the state's New York Army National Guard, New York Air National Guard, New York Guard and the New York Naval Militia. It is headed by Adjutan ...

as Troop A, becoming the cavalry arm of the Empire State. Squadron A was officially founded.

The Great Wars

Squadron A was often called out from its Madison Avenue Armory, which occupied an entire city block between 94th and 95th Streets, to escort presidents, governors, and foreign dignitaries. The Squadron was known for its fine riding skills and elegant uniforms, which it showed off in parades at the National Horse Show. Members of Squadron served as soldiers as well. Volunteer Squadron A troopers served in the Puerto Rican Campaign in 1898, and in 1916 the entire Squadron was called into federal service to patrol the Mexican Border and to support the

Pancho Villa Expedition The Pancho Villa Expedition—now known officially in the United States as the Mexican Expedition, but originally referred to as the "Punitive Expedition, U.S. Army"—was a military operation conducted by the United States Army against the p ...

. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, 796 Squadron A members served, and 609 became commissioned officers. As part of the 105th Machine Gun Battalion, the Squadron played an important role in the smashing of the

Hindenburg Line The Hindenburg Line (German: , Siegfried Position) was a German defensive position built during the winter of 1916–1917 on the Western Front during the First World War. The line ran from Arras to Laffaux, near Soissons on the Aisne. In 1916 ...

. Members were highly decorated, including a Medal of Honor recipient. In

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 opposing ...

the unit was federalized as the 101st Cavalry, Horse/Mechanized in early 1941. Following Pearl Harbor, Squadron A men served in all branches of the armed forces worldwide, and two additional Medals of Honor were earned in addition to an array of other distinctions.

Social activities

In peacetime both between the Wars and directly following, the Squadron was the focus of active social life. Aside from official ceremonial duties, there was indoor polo in the Armory every Saturday night followed by a black tie-dance and many Sunday afternoon tea dances. The 94th Street Armory came down in 1965, but its facade, with the Squadron motto ''BOUTEZ EN AVANT'' (Charge!) plaque is still intact, and the Hunter College High School building now occupying the rest of the block takes its architectural cues from the original Armory design. Squadron A memorabilia is maintained in a museum at the Staten Island armory of the 101st Cavalry (Tank), NYARNG, the successor unit to the Squadron, at 321 Manor Road, Castleton Corners, Staten Island.Joseph Berger, New York Times, 2009 Sept 18
On Staten Island, the Fight to Save a Proud Past The 101st was one of the first military units to respond to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 aiding both citizens and police and have been mobilized in support of the Global War on Terror and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The spirit and traditions of the Squadron A are maintained by the Squadron A Association, housed in the

Women's National Republican Club The Women's National Republican Club is the oldest private club for Republican women in the United States, and was founded by Henrietta Wells Livermore in 1921.The club grew out of the earlier women's suffrage movement in New York which led to the ...

building on 51st Street in Manhattan. Colonel Robert L. McClean, USAR (ret.) was president of the Association e died on March 22, 2011, at his Manhattan residence after a lingering illness which has more than 700 resident and non-resident members. The Squadron A Association maintains an active social agenda with an annual day at the

Belmont Racetrack Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse racing facility in the northeastern United States, located in Elmont, New York, just east of the New York City limits. It was opened on May 4, 1905. It is operated by the non-profit New York Racin ...

, an annual Memorial Service at the

Church of the Heavenly Rest The Church of the Heavenly Rest is an Episcopal church located on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 90th Street, opposite Central Park and the Carnegie Mansion, on the Upper East Side of New York City. The church is noted for the architecture of i ...

in Manhattan with reception, and a Christmas cocktail party. Additional events have included a Cavalry ball, visits aboard an aircraft carrier during Armed Forces Week, West Point football outings, and polo and shooting parties.

Distinguished members

* C. P. H. Gilbert, architect from New York * Karl Frederick, 1920 Olympic competitor and president of the National Rifle Association * Guy Sands-Pingot, Brigadier General, USAR * Fred Thrower, Navy Lieutenant, USN, and New York television executive who created the

Yule Log (TV program) ''The Yule Log'' is a television show originating in the United States, which is broadcast traditionally on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning. It originally aired from 1966 to 1989 on New York City television station WPIX (channel 11), which rev ...

References

{{reflist

External links

Squadron A web site
Military history of New York City