Tribute to BG John Sherman Crow |
From Greg Hallmark: John Trigg and I were honored to attend our great friend John Sherman Crow’s Celebration of Life service in Bastrop, Louisiana on June 1, 2024. John Sherman was my commanding officer when I was in the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. Here is the video we made of that event. |
Another Tribute to a Fallen Soldier
Photos/Videos from BG Doc Bahnsen’s Celebration of Life |
Don J. Hoff passed away on June 8, 2024 at his Greeley, Colorado home surrounded by family after a lengthy and courageous battle with multiple cancers that he fought without complaint. Don was born on March 8, 1946 near Venturia, North Dakota to Edna (Middlestead) Hoff and Harvey John Hoff. He was raised on a family farm and ranch in North Dakota, which instilled in him the value of hard work and appreciation for the outdoors and nature. However, he had a dream of becoming an attorney, and he attended college at the University of North Dakota. He was drafted into military service shortly after his 1968 college graduation. Don joined the U.S Army in September 1968. After completing basic and infantry training at Fort Lewis, Washington, he was assigned to the Aero Rifle Platoon, Air Cavalry Troop, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment as a rifleman and radio operator in the Republic of South Vietnam in 1969 – 1970. Don served his country with pride and was awarded numerous military service awards, including the Vietnam Service Medal, the Air Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Combat Infantryman Badge. Don was released from service on April 15, 1970. He was a Life Member of the 11th ACVVC. Upon completion of military service, Don returned to the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks for law school, earning his degree in May 1973. After a trip to Colorado with friends, Don knew it was where he wanted to make his home. He moved to Greeley and began his legal career with the Keith McIntyre Law Firm in November 1973. He began his private law practice in November 1974 and continued to practice law in Greeley until 2019. Don married Mary Catherine Webb on September 18, 1976. They were blessed to be the proud parents of three children, Sarah, David, and Laura, and grandparents of Jacob, Catherine, Anna, and William. Don was a man of great integrity, strength, generosity, and compassion for all. His love and dedication to his family was always at the forefront of his focus, supporting his family in all their endeavors without waiver. Don cherished being a grandparent, embracing every opportunity he had to spend time with his grandchildren. He had a gentle demeanor and wealth of knowledge that he was always eager to share to benefit others, making him a great friend to many. His infectious smile, and witty, dry sense of humor will be missed greatly. Don was an avid gardener and found great enjoyment in bird watching, hiking, listening to various types of music (including the Greeley Philharmonic concerts for many years), attending hockey games, and traveling with his wife and family. Over the years he was involved in many organizations including the Optimist Club, the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, the Democratic Party of Weld County, the Blackhorse Association, Greeley Honor Flight, and the Audubon Society. He was a member of Saint Peter Catholic Church and more recently Saint Mary Catholic Church. Donations may be sent to United Way of Greeley or the Guadalupe Shelter of Greeley. |
David Collier Mock, 56, LTC U.S. Army (Ret.), suddenly departed this life on March 4, 2007, at his home. David was born on Feb. 8, 1951, in Macon, Georgia, the son of career U.S. Army soldier Master Sergeant Jesse David Mock Jr. and Iris Duke Mock. He spent his childhood moving between his father’s duty stations in the United States and Germany. He graduated from high school in Florence, South Carolina and received his bachelor’s degree from the Citadel in Charleston in 1973. He was immediately commissioned in the U.S. Army, spending most of his career in the armored cavalry with assignments in the United States and Germany, including a tour as commander of M Company, 3/11 ACR.. He was a veteran of Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and he retired in 1995 after 22 years of service. Following his retirement from active duty, David continued to serve his country and the Army as a defense contractor for several firms. At the time of his death, he was the Vice President/Chief Operating Officer of AgileCast. David was highly respected by many present and retired officers of the U.S. Army for his dedication to the advancement of the Army’s goals and missions for the future defense of our country. David lived by the standard of leaving things better than you found them. This was practiced in all facets of his life, especially when it came to the beautification of the land around him. In his leisure time, he enjoyed the outdoors and gardening. He was fascinated by military history and tactics and loved to study the way other leaders thought. David was especially fond of a quote from Douglas Southall Freeman: “That leadership is a fairly simple concept. Be a man; know your stuff; take care of your men.” The family respectfully requested that donations be made to the 11th Armored Cavalry Blackhorse Association. |
Dennis K. Driessen served with the 37th Medical Company, 11th ACR, from August 1968 to August 1969. |
Would You Like to Serve on the Association’s Board? |
The following diagram depicts the Blackhorse Association’s Board. Every year at the annual reunion’s general meeting, your board members are reconfirmed or voted on. If you would like to volunteer for one of these positions, then please let us know by contacting bha-info@googlegroups.com. |
This is an extract from our bylaws: 5.4 ELECTIONS/NOMINATIONS. The Members of the BHA Board (this includes the Officers and Additional Directors) shall be elected at the annual meeting by a majority vote of the Members of the BHA, except as hereinafter otherwise provided for the filing of vacancies. Each Member of the BHA Board shall hold office for a term of one year and until his successor shall have been duly chosen and shall have qualified, or until his death, or until he shall resign or shall have been removed in the manner hereinafter provided. Nominations for the BHA Board may be delivered to the Secretary for the BHA who will place the person nominated on a preliminary ballot. Nominations may also be made at and during the Annual Meeting of the Members of the BHA. All nominees must be in good standing and eligible to vote as set forth above in Section 3.4.1. Any nominee not in attendance at the Annual Meeting of the Members of the BHA must have previously agreed to serve prior to the meeting. There are no term limits for any Member of the BHA Board. Did you know that there are other ways you can help out your Association? We have committees and volunteer opportunities to help with reunions and scholarships. Please contact us at bha-info@googlegroups.com to let us know how you would like to jump in and assist. Thank you for your support of The Blackhorse Association. Bob Hatcher Director of Operations, The Blackhorse Association |
Blackhorse History Corner |
Courtesy of Don Snedeker
Cambodian Incursion 1970 On May 5, 1970, E Troop and H Company, 2/11 Cav entered the town of Snuol, Cambodia. The Regiment had orders to seize and hold this important crossroads town. The attached article, from the Chicago Tribune, is a first-hand account of that action. |
From the November-December 1990 edition of Armor Magazine |
In 1940, the Blackhorse was still a horse cavalry regiment. Troopers split their time between the Presidio of Monterey and the southern California border with Mexico. This report is from April 1940. |
In early 1942, the 11th Cavalry Regiment, the last active-duty horse regiment in the U.S. Army, was deactivated and became the 11th Cavalry Group (Mechanized). Other parts of the Blackhorse were reformed into tank regiments/battalions, and they served throughout World War II. This is the color guard from the last regimental review in 1942. |
In January 1947, when this map was published, the 11th Constabulary Regiment was in its second year of Border Legion duty along the border between the U.S Zone of Occupation in West Germany and Czechoslovakia. |
In 1995, the 11th Armored Cavalry Veterans of Vietnam and Cambodia (11th ACVVC) held their 10th annual reunion in Appleton, Wisconsin. About 400 Veterans and 250 family members and friends attended. This photo is of SP4 (Ret.) Roland Baird, who served in L Troop in 1969 and 1970. |
A Look Back at Some Words from General Donn A. Starry
First Honorary Colonel of the Blackhorse |
Courtesy of Tom Smart Remarks
BLACKHORSE 2000 REUNION
May 13, 2000,
Fulda, Germany By General Donn Starry, USA Retired
Honorary Colonel of the Blackhorse |
A few minutes before noon the 13th of March 1994, the colors of the Blackhorse were cased, the national colors folded, and the last handful of Blackhorse soldiers and leaders marched away from the Downs Barracks flagpole for the last time. Fulda Gap weather was appropriate: cold just above freezing, north winds gusting to about 20 knots, a stinging spray of winter rain out of gray low-hung clouds. No band. A lone bugler played Assembly and To the Colors. Despite weather, several hundred family members and friends, German and American, huddled against the biting wind. Many were former Blackhorse soldiers who somehow bummed a ride despite the weather in order to be with their Regiment one last time. Briefly the 55th Colonel Commanding, William Scott Wallace, spoke about the Regiment, and the Honorary Colonel, General Donn Starry, spoke about Soldiers of the Border. Oberburgermeister Doctor Hamberger and Hessen Landrat Fritz Kraemer were represented by their respective deputies, each of whom was presented a set of United States National colors that had flown over Downs Barracks. Nearly fifty years had passed since the first US Army units-cavalry units, entered in Fulda in the closing hours of the second great war of the Twentieth Century. When General Bob Sunell asked me to speak here tonight, he asked that I say again what I said in those brief few moments here six years ago, on that unforgettable occasion. So that speech is what you will hear next. |
Soldiers and leaders of the Blackhorse. Families and friends of the Blackhorse. In a few moments, for the first time in just short of half a century, these splendid old buildings will no longer be home to cavalry soldiers of the United States Army. The missions for which those soldiers were first posted here nearly fifty years ago have been accomplished. Now, our familiar world – the world of those five dangerous decades, has changed dramatically. Indeed, it continues to change dramatically, even as we mark this historic occasion. So perhaps it is time for us to change as well; move on to new frontiers and other missions; different borders demand our attention. We have done here what we were asked to do. But as we move on, facing change and new challenges, we need to be reminded that some things do not change. Listen. Last night, in the dark, the cold, the wind and rain, I walked through this place one last time – alone. Through the vacant motor parks, past the deserted maintenance sheds, by the empty barracks – all once so full and vibrant with soldiers and their business. But as I walked on, it seemed to me that somehow they were all there once again. For I seemed to hear soldier voices – in the barracks, on their Bradleys, their tanks, their Humvees, in their howitzers, on their trucks; soldier voices sounded through hissing of radio squelch, soldier voices rose above the sound of engines turning up in the night, soldier voices were heard over the screech of turning tracks as units moved on alert. Yes – You see, they are all here. For many of us they can never go away. Some of us will always be able to come here and find them waiting. For we are part of them and they are part of us. Together we are part of this place where so many of us have spent so many of the important years of our lives. Today, freedom flourishes in this beautiful land – to be sure not without some problems. But freedom flourishes because those soldiers were here. Their service, their sacrifice, their unexcelled professional excellence, won that prolonged, demanding, frustrating half century long war just ended. Won it without having to fight the Battle of the Fulda Gap. To win in that fashion, without having to fight the battle for which one has so earnestly prepared for so long a time – that is the truest measure of soldier success. Now, we all carry away with us that legacy to meet new challenges. For it is yet true that when all is done, battles are ever won by the courage of soldiers, the character of their leaders, and the military excellence of superbly trained units. As we fold these precious flags and march away today, those soldier voices call after us; reminding that nothing worth having can be had for nothing – freedom is not free. Somewhere, someday, some time, somehow, once again the fate of our nation’s goals, ambitions, hopes, perhaps even survival, will surely rest in the hands of a few good soldiers, a few good leaders, and a few good units – units like the Blackhorse. Units whose ultimate excellence is writ large in the history of battles they never had to fight. In freedom bought at the price of eternal vigilance. That is the Blackhorse legacy to our nation – to all of us. It is a large, large legacy indeed. And so – may God Bless us all – may God Bless the Blackhorse! Blackhorse Forever!! Allons!!! Let’s Go!!!! As the echoes of that speech faded away on a cold March wind six years ago, none of us knew when, where, or even if, the Blackhorse would ever ride again. The pessimistic amongst us feared that, at best the colors and artifacts might find their way into some museum, or worse yet, simply rot away in some forgotten warehouse. But Fortune smiled. So it was that just a bit more than seven months later several of us gathered under a hot Mojave Desert sun to celebrate reactivation of the Blackhorse as the Opposing Force at the National Training Center. For a Cavalry Regiment, especially a Border Regiment, there could be no better mission. The Opposing Force is the trainer of units of the United States Army for whatever, wherever, and whenever contingencies demand their deployment. The effectiveness of unit training, the readiness for combat operations of Army units, is therefore today’s challenge for the Blackhorse. The Regiment brings to that new mission the legacy of excellence so characteristic of its service on many Borders: from the Philippines in 1902, to Mexico in 1917, to World War II, to Vietnam to the Cold War. So it is once again. The Blackhorse Forever — Allons — Let’s Go |
Blackhorse Fulda Reunion
June 27, 2009 |
Remarks by General Donn A. Starry, 41st Colonel of the Regiment, Vietnam and Cambodia, 1969-1970. Lord Mayor Muller, Frau Muller, members and friends of the Regiment. For the past several days we have enjoyed meeting old friends and comrades, reliving experiences of times long past, and hearing eloquently profound words about that glorious past. As the caboose on this train, may I just add a brief benediction, hopefully equally as profound, about the future? For understanding the future is deeply dependent on fully comprehending the past. Many years ago, Thomas Jefferson wrote these immortal lines: We hold these truths to be self-evident. That all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights. That among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In the wake of that eloquent pronouncement several tough years were required to demonstrate that the freedom so grandly described was not in fact free. That while our society requires very little of most of its citizens, it demands a great deal of a very special few. So it is that while we live in the land of the free, we do so only because that land was at the beginning, and has ever since remained, the home of the brave — the very special few. Those very special few are the men and women — ever the brave warriors, who have answered their nation’s call, gone where they were asked to go, done what they were asked to do. In the doing some died. But they died for what warriors have always died for, they died for one another, in acts of enduring love, acts which shall forever enrich the human experience. Listen to the lonely winds in the beautiful hills outside. On those winds one can hear the voices of the brave warriors who have died in our nation’s three centuries of war. They have died in many places, many with strange and unfamiliar names; in a sunken road near Antietam, in the tangled underbrush of the Argonne forest, in the mountain caves of Iwo Jima, in the dark skies above and along the deep snow-covered ridges of the Snee Eifel, in the frozen wastes of the Chosin Reservoir, on the bloody floor of the Ia Drang valley, and now in the hostile waste lands and other terrorist hangouts in the Middle East. All so that we, together with our allies, can enjoy freedom. Freedom from fear, freedom from poverty, freedom from the manifold injustices that seem ever to characterize life on this troubled planet. While wars are fought for many causes, most often those of us who have fought come to believe that war’s message is likely more divine than it is profane. That in battle’s ever-present uncertainties of terror, and destruction, the only things worth remembering are the leaders, the brave warriors who are our comrades in arms. And our brave allies who share our risks. For if war has any real value, it must be that it forces its warriors to stretch themselves as far as their capabilities will allow in order to accomplish a miracle — the ability to lift themselves above the commonplace by the might of their own will, to face annihilation, based solely on faith; faith in their god. Faith in their leaders, faith in their fellow warriors, faith in their allies who embrace the same causes and face the same threats as do they themselves. Today’s phalanx of brave warriors has expanded to include extended families. Foremost among members of those extended families are the lovely ladies who send us guys off to war — ever with a big kiss, ever with a beautiful smile, always with a quiet admonition to “please do take care of yourself.” And so away they send us, and with letters of love they sustain us while we are gone. Then they welcome us home; again, with a big kiss, again with a beautiful smile, but now with an ever-growing apprehension deep in their heart of hearts that all too soon they may have to send us off to war again. Of all the brave warriors, those lovely ladies are the most brave. For the struggles for freedom, for security, for the triumph of honor over lies, for viable, stable, and sustainable community life, over confusion, darkness and evil — those struggles may never end. And so we ask god’s blessing on our intrepid warriors and our faithful allies as they strive together to establish the necessary constant vigilance required to preserve, protect and defend our god given right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We pray in Christ’s name. Amen. |
A Poem from a Blackhorse Veteran of Vietnam |
From Alex Fertig: My father served in Vietnam, he was there for the Tet Offensive, and he is a Purple Heart recipient. He is a great man and is proud of his service with the 11th Calvary. He wrote a poem about combat and read it on Little Round Top in Gettysburg. Here is the poem with an explanation to start. When veterans of the North and South met after the Civil War, they often asked each other if they saw the elephant. This means they were combat veterans and saw horrific and bloody battles. At that time, PT Barnum had just introduced elephants into his circus. To the American citizens of that era, this was seeing the incredible. |
Did you see the ELEPHANT?
Many saw the Beast
First a patriot on BUNKER HILL
He heard the roar
And the Redcoats charged up that Hill Many saw the Bangalore
THEY WERE THE FEAST FOR THE BEAST
The ELEPHANT slept four score
And seven more
He awoke with a
Great Roar
GETTYSBURG they charged the hill
GREY/BLUE
GREY/BLUE
Trunk up came the BEAST
LITTLE ROUND TOP
BIG ROUND TOP
He had his FEAST
————————————-
A century past
VIETNAM WAR
My friends were his score
I’m afraid he will find more
THE FUTURE WILL HEAR HIS
ROAR Gerry Fertig, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment |
A Blackhorse Mini-Reunion |
We have now met in 2020, 2021, and 2024 in Florida. Steaks on the grill, bourbon, whiskey, scotch, slide shows, photos, range time with fifteen or so weapons (including .50 cal. rifle), swim, golf, eat-and-drink feast for three days. 2/11 ACR Border Legion lieutenants got together for a weekend in June 2024 in Melbourne Beach, Florida. This mini-reunion was a wonderful opportunity to rekindle friendships, tell border stories with panache (as only Cavalrymen can do), and enjoy the brotherhood we shared with great food, our women, and of course plenty of spirits. We toasted our Officers, NCOs, Troopers and also those who have gone before us to Fiddler’s Green. We all realize it was an honor to serve in the Regiment during the Cold War with the importance of our mission in Europe. We are thankful for this special bond that was formed so many years ago at garrison at Bad Kissingen, to Border tours at Camp Lee, to the maneuver training at Hohenfels, and to gunnery at Grafenwoehr. We are also very grateful to the numerous unit outings, parties, and trips throughout Europe that lead to this camaraderie that we still share. EAGLEHORSE! |
L-R: Andy Mahoney, Vince O’Brien, Dan Gall, Thad Hill, Rob Prudhomme, Steve Mies, Mike Simms, Lars Keeley, and Rick Martin. |
Rick Martin, Lars Keeley, Steve Mies, Rob Prudhomme, Mike Simms, Thad Hill, Andy Mahoney, Vince O’Brien, and Dan Gall. |
Former Blackhorse Trooper to Become
Chief of the U.S. Army Reserve and
Commanding General, U.S. Army Reserve Command |
Major General Robert Harter has been nominated by President Joe Biden to be the nextchief of the U.S. Army Reserve and commanding general of U.S. Army ReserveCommand. If confirmed by the Senate, Harter, who has commanded the 81st Readiness Division atFort Jackson, South Carolina since September 2022, would receive his third star andsucceed Lt. General Jody Daniels, who has led the Army Reserve since July 2020. Harter’s most recent assignment before the 81st Readiness Division was deputy chief of the Army Reserve. A native of Alaska and Virginia, Harter was commissioned in 1988 as a field artillery officer after graduating from Virginia Tech with a degree in business and communications. He also holds a master’s degree in national security strategy from the National War College, according to his Department of Defense biography. Before transferring from active duty to the Active Guard Reserve program in 1999, Harter held assignments in the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment in Germany and the 101st Corps Support Group. He also commanded the 584th Direct Support Maintenance Company at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, according to his biography. His Active Guard Reserve assignments included training chief for readiness in the 99th Regional Readiness Command; support operations officer in the 55th Sustainment Brigade; distribution management chief in the 316th Expeditionary Sustainment Command in Iraq; and various staff positions on the Joint Staff and in the Office of the Chief of Army Reserve, according to his biography. Harter’s general officer assignments include assistant deputy commanding general for Reserve Affairs and full-time chief of staff for Army Materiel Command; commander of the 316th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary); chief of staff and operations officer in the Office of the Chief of Army Reserve; and the Army Reserve senior representative to the 39th Chief of Staff of the Army Transition Team, according to his biography. |
Colonel Kevin T. Black
71st Colonel of the Regiment |
Colonel Kevin T. Black is a Distinguished Military Graduate of The University of Alabama. He was commissioned as an Armor officer in the U.S. Army in May of 2001. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, a Master’s Degree in Communications/Leadership, and a Master’s in Strategic Study. He is married to the former Kimberly Clendenin of Adamsville, Alabama, and they have four wonderful children: Gary Lane (19), Kaleb (13), Elizabeth (8), and Isabella (6). Colonel Black’s previous assignments include Senior Military Evaluator for Army Combat Systems, Office of the Secretary of Defense Operational Test and Evaluation, Pentagon; 3rd Infantry Division G3, Ft Stewart GA; Commander 3rd Battalion 8th Cavalry Regiment, Ft Hood TX; J-3 (Operations), Afghan National Army Special Operations Command-Special Operations Advisory Group – NATO Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan (Operation FREEDOM’S SENTINEL), Camp Morehead Afghanistan; Asst. Executive Officer to the Army Deputy Chief of Staff (DCS) G-8, Pentagon; Stryker staff synchronization officer, Force Development Directorate DCS G-8, Pentagon; Deputy Commander 11th ACR, Ft Irwin CA; Regimental Executive Officer 11th ACR, Ft Irwin CA; Squadron Executive Officer 1/11th ACR, Ft Irwin CA; Chief of Operations 155th ABCT(Operation IRAQI FREEDOM), Tupelo MS; Commander, B Troop 1-98th Cavalry Regiment, Booneville MS; Battalion S4 Division Special Troops Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; 1st Cavalry Division Headquarters and Headquarters Company Executive Officer (Operation IRAQI FREEDOM), Fort Hood, Texas; Platoon Leader 1st Platoon A Company 2nd Battalion 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. His awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, the Army Achievement Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Reserve Achievement Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Meritorious Unit Citation, the Combat Action Badge, the Parachutist Badge, the Office of the Secretary of Defense Staff Badge, and the Army Staff Identification Badge. |
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