1st Cavalry Regiment or 1st Tank Battalion

[Napo39]

Hello,

 

I have this DUI

 

Marked: IE (or 1E)

Pin back

 

I think it's the 1st cavalry Regiment but with pin-back perhaps 1st Tank.

 

Can you help me.

 

Thank you

[Allan H.]

At different times, the crest has represented many different units associated with the original designation which was the 1st Cavalry Regiment.

Below is the timeline that Wikipedia gives for the regiment. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_Cavalry_Regiment_(United_States)
1933 – The regiment was reorganized and re-designated as 1st Cavalry Regiment (Mechanized) on 16 January.
1940 – The regiment was re-designated as 1st Armored Regiment (Light), and assigned to the 1st Armored Division on 15 July.
1944 – On 20 July, 1st Armored Regiment was reorganized. 2d Battalion was deactivated and the remainder was reorganized and re-designated as 1st Tank Battalion.
1946 – On 1 May, 1st Tank Battalion was converted and re-designated as the 1st Constabulary Squadron, and concurrently relieved from assignment to 1st Armored Division, and assigned to the 15th Constabulary Regiment.
1948 – On 20 December, 1st Constabulary Squadron was reconverted and re-designated as 1st Medium Tank Battalion, reassigned to the 1st Armored Division, and deactivated.
1951 – On 27 February, 2nd Battalion. 1st Armored Regiment was reconstituted, and re-designated as 100th Tank Battalion. On 7 March, 1st Medium Tank Battalion was reactivated as part of 1st Armored Division at Fort Hood, Texas.

In Vietnam, the 7th of the 1st Cav was an Air Cavalry unit.

Today, you'll see different squadrons at different locations, with different missions. All wear the same distinctive unit insignia.

 

1st Squadron is the armored reconnaissance squadron of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas.
2nd Squadron is the reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition squadron of the 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado.
3rd Squadron is the armored reconnaissance squadron of the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia.
5th Squadron is the reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition squadron of the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, stationed at Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
6th Squadron is the reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition squadron of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas.
8th Squadron is the reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition squadron of the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.

 

Allan

[Napo39]

Then 1st and 100th Tank Bn inactivated, consolidated and redesignated 15 February 1957 as the 1st Cavalry.

 

The 2 digits were introduced in 1953-1954 and the 3 digits occured in 1964-1965 and the pin-back disapeared c.1960.

So can we consider that this DUI was worn by the 1st Tank Battalion or the 1st Cavalry after 1957.

[patches]

That code looks like 1E yes, if so a example made by Emblem Supply Co, dating this as you mentioned between 1954 and 1965.

 

However after 1957 the unit was reorganized under CARS, the Combat Arms Regimental System, with the 1st Cavalry Regiment as the Parent unit as it were, and now these units were titled Reconnaissance Squadrons, of which by 1965 (when the new insignia hallmark codes came out, and which at this point they just dropped the Reconnaissance in the title) there where three squadrons, the 1st Squadron, 1st Cavalry, 1st Armored Division, the 2nd Squadron, 2nd Armored Division, and the 4th Squadron, 1st Cavalry, this last one was School Troops at the U.S. Military Academy West Point

 

As mentioned by Allan H today there are a few more units of the 1st Cav today, but it was during the Vietnam period these units were activated for the first time with them being ultimately reactivated after the Vietnam War period. Lets see there were five more units of the 1st Cav active at that time, the 7th as Allan mentioned, an Air Cavalry unit that fought in South Vietnam, but also the 3rd Squadron, this was assigned to the 1st Armored Division, the 6th Squadron, this was assigned to the 2nd Armored Division, why? because both the 1st and 2nd Armored Divisions gave up their 1st Cav units for combat service in South Vietnam, and these unit were activated under CARS to replace these units. Then there was Troop E 1st Cavalry, a Ground Recon unit that fought in South Vietnam, and the 8th Squadron, 1st Cavalry, another Air Cavalry unit, this one was based at Fort Knox Kentucky and was activated in August 1967 for potential combat service in South Vietnam, but remained at Knox till it was inactivated, inactivated in August 1972, it was reactivated again years and years after the Vietnam War in 2007.

[tredhed2]

DIs can be a PITA to ID.........

[Page-Hendryx]

I never understood why the grand old 1st Cavalry was re-designated and then inactivated, only to later be reactivated and broken up under CARS, as opposed to unbroken service as an actual regiment, e.g., the 2nd and 3rd Cavalry Regiments.

 

It seems rather unjust; I mean, it was the 1st Cavalry, FFS.

[patches]

I never understood why the grand old 1st Cavalry was re-designated and then inactivated, only to later be reactivated and broken up under CARS, as opposed to unbroken service as an actual regiment, e.g., the 2nd and 3rd Cavalry Regiments.

 

It seems rather unjust; I mean, it was the 1st Cavalry, FFS.

Here it was decided that certain Cavalry units, where to be kept intact as separate Armored Cavalry Regiments, these being the 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 11th and 14th. The other, even those included in the 1st Cavalry Division, would have additional CARS Squadrons, IE the 4th Squadron 12th Cav, 3rd Squadron 7th Cav, etc etc. It was done like this to provide divisional recon units to the various division Army wide.

 

In those very early days even the Reserve Infantry Divisions got Regular Army CARS Cav Squadrons, IE 3rd Squadron 8th Cavalry, it was assigned to the NYC 77th Infantry Division, 4th Squadron 5th Cavalry, it was assigned to the 94th Infantry Division out of Massachusetts.

[Page-Hendryx]

Here it was decided that certain Cavalry units, where to be kept intact as separate Armored Cavalry Regiments, these being the 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 11th and 14th. The other, even those included in the 1st Cavalry Division, would have additional CARS Squadrons, IE the 4th Squadron 12th Cav, 3rd Squadron 7th Cav, etc etc. It was done like this to provide divisional recon units to the various division Army wide.

 

In those very early days even the Reserve Infantry Divisions got Regular Army CARS Cav Squadrons, IE 3rd Squadron 8th Cavalry, it was assigned to the NYC 77th Infantry Division, 4th Squadron 5th Cavalry, it was assigned to the 94th Infantry Division out of Massachusetts.

 

I know, I just don't get why they did it to the 1st Cavalry and not a higher-numbered reg't like the 14th; I mean the 1st (along with the 2nd) should be sacred. They were the First and Second Dragoons!

 

[patches]

 

I know, I just don't get why they did it to the 1st Cavalry and not a higher-numbered reg't like the 14th; I mean the 1st (along with the 2nd) should be sacred. They were the First and Second Dragoons!

 

I agree, But You know the Army