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| Tilley thanks 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment veterans for their military service and engages in banter with audience. Blackhorse troopers and their families met in Washington Aug. 3-5 for a reunion to celebrate the regiment's 100th anniversary. Photo by Dennis Ryan. |
by Dennis Ryan
WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Aug. 8, 2001) -- Sgt. Maj. of the Army Jack Tilley spoke to attendees of the 11th Armored Cavalry's memorial service Aug. 4, at Fort Myer, Va.
Tilley told the crowd of over 1,200 veterans and their families in Conmy Hall of how when he visits the Vietnam Memorial, the "wall" is special because of them.
"The 11th Cav has never failed our country, but the price paid was a high one," Tilley said. "From the Philippines, where the 11th earned their first battle streamer, to Vietnam. Like you, I have my own memories. I lost half my platoon in Vietnam."
Tilley was overcome with emotion at this point. He fought back tears as he said, "Sometimes, the memories come from the face of a stranger in an airport.... someone who looks like a fallen friend and comrade. I would tell you that moments like those are entirely proper and appropriate, for it is our duty to never forget those men."
Tilley spoke afterward about his release of emotion at the memorial service.
"Those are tough memories," Tilley said. "It probably wasn't the best place to get emotional. After 30 years it's funny what you seem to remember. The ones that came up and talked to me understood. A lot of them went through the same stuff."
Tilley had just turned 18 and finished jump training with the 173rd Airborne when he was sent to the 1st Infantry as a replacement. "We got ambushed and they swept through us," Tilley said. "We were on perimeter guard and lost half the platoon. We got about 24. It's hard to say it happened so quick."
Retired Gen. Donn Starry, a former commander of the Black Horse Regiment, talked about the regiment's founding at Fort Myer 100 years ago and the reasons for such a celebration.
The storied Black Horse went from its first battle campaign, against insurgents in the Philippines, to chase Pancho Villa in Mexico in 1916 as a part of Gen. John J. Pershing's punitive expedition. There the 2nd squadron of the 11th participated in the last mounted cavalry charge in U.S. history. The regiment served in Europe during World War II.
The Blackhorse earned 14 battle streamers in Vietnam and three troopers were awarded the Medal of Honor. It was also where Col. George S. Patton III gave the regiment an order that became its battle cry, "Find the bastards and then pile on."
The 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment today serves as the Army's opposing force at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif.
Retired Lt. Col. James C. Crowley, spoke about Tilley's speech after the service.
"It was very meaningful," Crowley said. "The thing you recall is the comradeship and what you shared with one another. It's about people. It's not about things or events. It's about people."
Eric Newton, who served with the 11th in Vietnam, before going on to a career as a builder of luxury homes in Texas, still has fond memories of his comrades.
"You could depend on them," Newton said. "If you got in trouble, they were going to come and get you and you'd do the same for them. We did a lot of operations around Saigon and up to the Cambodian border. We were doing battle with regular NVA (North Vietnamese Army). I saw a lot of destruction and I wanted to go in the other direction."
Marcia Skinner sang a stirring rendition of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" during the ceremony and the old and young soldiers alike joined during the chorus and moved the old rafters of Conmy Hall and brought moisture to many of the old soldiers' eyes.
Chaplain Larry Haworth read the honor roll of those who passed on in the last year, or as he put it, "join those who made the wild ride in Vietnam."
(Editor's note: Dennis Ryan is a journalist assigned to the Pentagram with the Military District of Washington.)
