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113th Cavalry yard long


oldabewla
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Here is a very cool yard long photo that I should put in the photo forum but I think it would do better here as a topic!
Here is a very historic and super rare Pre WWII Army yard long photo that will never ever be repeated again in history of the 113th Cavalry (Iowa national guard unit) that was taken in Nov.1941 at Camp Bowie, Texas as marked on the photo.
This Photo is the end of the Horse Cavalry and the begging of the mechanized Cavalry as we know it today! some 35 Indian motorcycles, scout cars, horses and their transports.
The photo is dated Nov. 1941 but I did do some reading up on 113th Cav and found out that this was actually taken on Dec 7th 1941 and after it was taken we all know the Japs attack! and just like 911 near Camp Bowie there is a big drinking water reservoir and I guess they were thinking the Japs were going to poison the water and a scramble was made to protect it and with the Army unit being called up and moved out most of the guys in this photo never got a copy of it!
This photo just about has everything in what we love about collecting US military! The 113th went on to Europe to become a tank destroyer unit and they are still
active today.
I have a relative on my wife's side that was with the 113th at the time of photo and thur the war and told me the Indians were too slow so they ended up getting WLA later on.
Craig

 

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Love the photo. The large semitrailers parked behind are the "portee trucks" for the cavalry horses. The Cavalry was desperate to keep the horses so they developed a system where they would be trucked to the battlefield in large stock trailers then would assemble and charge into battle. Pretty cumbersome but it's cool to see the portees in the photo.

Tom Bowers

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One small correction they were a cav. recon unit in WWII not AT, and yes they're still in the Iowa NG inventory and redeployed back from Afghanistan about two years ago but were armor. I'm an old "Red Horse" from Iowa and proud of it. George

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