President's Message

By: Frank T. Church
2nd Quarter, 2024




When we got to Vietnam none of us knew what unit we would be assigned to.  The 11th ACR did not have any meaning at the time although it had already established a rich history.  Deploying armor in the jungle and rice paddies did not seem to be a good idea and was met with raised eyebrows. Cavalry was seen as the old western version of horseback charges with bugles calling, guidons waving, and swords held high. But we developed tactics and methods to deal with the jungle and just avoided rice paddies. We still had a few on-line charges with guidons flying but the horses were steel, the sound of bugles was replaced with the roar of engines and the swords became high powered guns. We redefined the vision of a cavalry charge.

Since our mission was to recon in force the tanks and ACAVs proved to be the right mounts. We had the power to just push over the jungle and the weapons to blow away anybody that decided to take us on. We pioneered the tactic of “Find the Bastards and then pile on.”  We were feared by the enemy and known to be relentless in our fighting. We were considered a “little crazy” but earned much respect from both sides. By the end of our tour, we knew we were part of a special unit, verging on elite.

I had the privilege and honor to attend the Change of Command of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment at Ft. Irwin in June of this year. Also in attendance were past Regimental Commanders and a retired Sergeant Major of the Army. The entire Regiment was assembled to welcome the incoming Regimental Commander and say goodbye to the outgoing Commander, all proudly displaying our patch in full color and sporting gold and silver spurs. Each person I met included in their introduction “...and I’m a Blackhorse Trooper.” The outgoing Commander’s speech was emotional and full of pride with being part of the storied history of the 11th Cav. His final words were, “I am, and I always will be a Blackhorse Trooper.”  Such is the pride in being a Trooper in the 11th Armored Cavalry.

Being a Blackhorse Trooper has become part of our identity, crossed sabers our symbol.  The Blackhorse patch is emblazoned on our clothing, our cars, and our homes. Everyone we know has become acquainted with what one friend of mine calls the “prancing pony.” Oh, yeah, prancing with the agility and strength of a powerful steed. The creator of our patch got it right. A symbol of the power and pride of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment in eye-catching color that is recognizable from across the room.

Our reunions give us the opportunity to relive those days when we rode our steel mounts into the jungle and now fully realize the impact we had not only on our history but that of military tactics used today, to show our pride in being Blackhorse Troopers, to remember those we lost in battle and those we have lost since. We were young men on an adventure creating a legacy that will last far beyond our time. A defining chapter in the history of our Regiment. Make plans now to attend our reunions, to relive and try to fully understand how that time in our lives made us who we are today.

“We were, we are, we will always be Blackhorse Troopers.”

Allons, Frank